By The California Cannabis Control Commission (DCC) awarded $19,942,918 to 16 academic institutions planning to research cannabis on April 26. The grant will fund research initiatives investigating the effects of cannabis on “mental health in young people, new cannabinoids like delta.” It is a first-of-its-kind study of traditional California cannabis genetics aimed at preserving the history, values, and diversity of 8 and Delta-10 THC and the communities that manage them. press release said.
The goal is for these specific initiatives to lead cannabis research, according to DCC chief deputy director Rasha Salama. “It is the DOJ’s hope that these studies will advance the body of scientific research, advance our understanding of cannabis, and help us continue to develop and improve our legal framework.” Salama said“These studies provide valuable insights on topics of interest to consumers, businesses and policy makers in California, and we look forward to sharing them once the research is complete. ”
Grants will be awarded to institutions in six categories, including cannabis efficacy, cannabis medical uses, cannabis industry health, monopoly and unfair competition, California legacy genetics and gene sequencing, and “other” topics. I was. A total of 98 proposals were considered, based on “strong scientific methodology, ability to inform policymaking, increased public understanding of cannabis, and potential to generate exponentially supporting basic research.” , 16 were selected from that pool. knowledge of the future. “
The institution that received the top grant is Cal Poly Humboldt, $2,699,178, which will be sued to work on the topic “Legacy Cannabis Genetics: People and Their Plants, Community-Driven Research.”
Nonprofits called the Origins Council and Cannabis Equity Policy Council are working in partnership with Cal Poly Humboldt on the initiative, according to a press release. “This research aims to empower and protect California’s traditional growing communities, who have overcome great adversity to innovate and manage one of the world’s most important collections of cannabis germplasm. .” Origins Council Executive Director Jeanine Coleman said:.
In addition, the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will each receive $2 million, both of which will conduct cannabis potency studies.
UCLA-based research secured six grants, and the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) received three. Other institutions include the University of California, San Francisco, the University of California, Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Cal Poly Humboldt.
One particular collaborative study between the University of California, Irvine and UCLA evaluated the addictive effects of inhaled cannabis plants compared to inhaled concentrates, the “first double-blind, placebo-controlled, federally compliant drug study. dosing study”.Be expected [to] Establish clinically relevant thresholds that define high and low THC concentrations. “
In February, the DCC also announced a new grant program providing $20 million to help support and expand the state’s cannabis industry. It’s an important step in protecting the safety of people and supporting a balanced market,” said DCC Director Nicole Elliott. “The Retail Access Grant Program aims to ultimately encourage legal retail operations in areas where existing consumers do not have convenient access to regulated cannabis.” The grant application period is 4 days. Ends March 28th with $10M in grants awarded by June 20th. After that, “an additional $10 million of her will be available when previous winners issue licenses.”
DCC issued a statement in early March. forced statistics from the last two years. Officials report that in 2021 he led 61 search warrant operations, while in 2022 he conducted 155. In 2021, the DCC seized over 41,726 pounds of cannabis (about $77,772,936 in value), but that number increased to 144,254 pounds in 2022. (estimated value over $243,017,836).
