School’s out for summer – and possibly forever. That’s the case with Colorado-based Greenway University, which has been suspended because of discrepancies in the owner’s application to run the school, according to a report by KMGH-TV in Denver.
Greenway, founded in 2009, offers courses on everything from bookkeeping and legal issues to opening a dispensary and making edibles. It also provides certification programs in areas such as growing, cultivation and dispensary management. A fair share of its students own medical marijuana centers or are thinking about starting dispensaries.
The Colorado Department of Higher Education Division of Private Occupational Schools – which initially gave Greenway the green light to operate – told school on Tuesday to stop offering classes and give students a refund. According to the TV report, owner Gus Escamilla indicated on his application that he had not been convicted or a felony. However, KMGH unearthed documents showing he pleaded guilty to felony grand theft in California in 2000. Additionally, the application did not disclose that another top Greenway official once pleaded guilty to mail fraud.
Escamilla took responsibility for the discrepancy, saying he thought his felony had been expunged from his record and that he should have “quadruple-checked.” He plans to appeal to the state in a bid to re-open Greenway University.
As of this morning, Greenway University’s website made no mention of the suspension. Students who have already put down money should call the CDHE at (303) 866-2723.
Regardless of what happens to Greenway, this is a blight on the medical marijuana industry and will tarnish the image of pot schools that have popped up in recent years. The public already views these outfits skeptically, and this certainly won’t help on the credibility front. It will also help promote the myth that the medical pot industry is run by former felons and criminals.
