Cannabis Hospitality certificate program unveiled at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Starting this fall, the school will be offering two certificates: one for entry level and one that's more of a managerial level.

 School leaders say there is a need for such a certificate in the industry in Colorado.

"This is a $2 billion-a-year industry in Colorado, so there are a lot of different jobs, and personnel and in tax, in running dispensaries and doing finances," said Lynann "Annie" Butler, the interim dean for the MSU Denver School of Hospitality. "There are a lot of opportunities."

On Wednesday, alumni, students, staff and industry leaders joined in at a new conference called the Green Frontier Conference for panel discussions, seminars and cooking demonstrations to celebrate the launch of the program.

"The first cannabis hospitality program of its kind places an emphasis on the supply chain, to ensure the responsible sale and compliant consumption of cannabis in dispensaries, food/beverage preparation and hotel/spa settings," the university wrote in a news release.