California awards US$20M to state institutions for cannabis research
28-Apr-23 05:31:27

The funding will be distributed amongst 16 different schools throughout the Golden State

California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has awarded US$20 million to a series of academic institutions throughout the state for cannabis research.

The state department announced the research grant on Tuesday and will provide the funding to 16 different schools. A total of 98 proposals for various studies were submitted to the department and only 16 were approved.

The grant recipients will be using the money to research the medicinal uses of the plant, well-being of the industry, potency, genetic sequencing and California legacy genetics.

It will also go towards studying novel cannabinoids like Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC and the influence of cannabis on young peoples’ mental health.

The University of California San Diego is set to expand on a previous federally-funded project by conducting research on how cannabinoids affect mental and physical health in adolescents, with a focus on California-specific data.

Additionally, the impact of local regulations on market power, unfair competitive practices and the growth of the California cannabis market will be investigated by a team from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

UCLA received funding for three projects related to cannabis research. The first project worth US$1,849,962 focuses on the epidemiology of medicinal cannabis use among clinical populations in California.

The second project, which received US$437,465, aims to collect and analyze data on the use of medicinal cannabis in California, including preferred product formulations and routes of administration.

The third project, valued at US$1,679,972, aims to assess the health of California’s cannabis industry and make recommendations for future assessments.

UC Berkeley also received a significant amount of funding for four cannabis research projects. The first project, valued at US$855,434, aims to investigate monopolistic and anti-competitive tendencies in the cannabis industry.

The second project, which received US$2,699,178 in funding, is a community-driven study to identify and preserve California’s rural legacy cannabis genetics.

The third project, worth US$1,042,321, will assess the unlicensed cultivation of cannabis and policies that are effective in preventing unlicensed cultivation and environmental harms.

The fourth project, valued at US$630,130, will examine the production practices, medicinal uses and farm structures of Hmong farmers.

The DCC’s Deputy Director Rasha Salama says the studies will help refine the legal framework for cannabis in the U.S.

Other research being conducted with the funding will include a US$900,000 study by UC San Fransisco examining the impact of cannabis concentrate THC potency and genetic susceptibility to inefficient THC metabolism on cognitive function in young people.

SOURCE & CREDIT: MUGGLE HEAD