HIGHER LEARNING! MAINE POTHEAD OPENS MARIJUANA STATE UNIVERSITY!

This gives new meaning to higher learning.

A Maine pothead has launched an academic institution based solely on the fine art of growing high-grade marijuana.

The aptly titled Marijuana State University is the brainchild of Ray Logan, a 56-year-old dooby aficionado who's been growing his own grass for 30 years.

"There's a huge need for [knowledge], and some people aren't sure where to get it," Logan told The Portland Press Herald.

Logan's three-hour workshops cost $79 - but students, senior citizens and veterans can learn all about cultivating potent pot for just $59.

About 15 men attended Logan's first class in Portland earlier this month, a heady mix of registered medical marijuana patients interested in growing their own stuff rather than shelling out hundreds of dollars an ounce.

"Anybody can grow it, but to grow a good, medical-quality marijuana you've got to know the tricks and you've really got to do your research," said Rick Adjutant, a 48-year-old disabled Army veteran who attended the Portland class.

To avoid arousing the interest of the authorities, Logan uses basil and cayenne pepper plants in his demonstrations instead of marijuana.

Logan says he hopes his school will someday turn a profit, but that's not his focus right now.

"I just enjoy doing it and helping people learn how to grow," added Logan, a legal marijuana user.

But not everyone is pleased with Logan's efforts.

Some law enforcement officials are grumbling that Logan is taking advantage of laws designed to help the sick ease their pain.

"This program was designed to get patients access to quality medical marijuana; it wasn't intended as a business for people to make money," said Cathy Cobb, director of the licensing division for the Department of Health and Human Services.

"We don't want to set up a supply network that exceeds the demand of registered patients."

Marijuana State University is not the first U.S.-based institution focused on pot.

California's Oaksterdam University offers a range of courses for growers. The Oakland-based school, known as America's first "cannabis college," has enrolled more than 17,000 people since it opened in 2007.

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