Cannabis Education and Research in Universities

 

Research, in general, is not only the prerogative of governmental and industrial research bodies, but also that of universities. Some of the most ground-breaking research in various areas have been the output of exemplary universities that drive research in various areas. One of the biggest hurdles to cannabis research and  education is the illegal status of the precious plant which has wide ranging medicinal, recreational, spiritual and industrial uses. With its illegal status, only a very few governmental agencies can research the plant. Quite often these governmental agencies have an anti-cannabis bias, and most of their research is funded by industries and entities opposed to cannabis, looking for ways in which to portray cannabis in a bad light and continue its prohibition. Many leading research bodies have highlighted the hurdles that the illegal status of cannabis poses to research on the plant. 

With the legalization of cannabis in many US states, and in some countries where research on cannabis is encouraged, such as Canada, Israel,  and the Netherlands, we see the immediate impact this has had on university education and research on the plant. Universities in US states where cannabis has been legalized for recreational and/or medicinal use, have started including cannabis education and research in their programs. Areas for research include public health, criminal justice and public safety, economic, environmental impacts, and the cannabis industry. It is likely to grow into one of the hottest topics of study, if the growth of the legal market as well as the interest shown in the topic is any indicator. The number of research publications on the subject of cannabis has brown exponentially in the recent past. The cannabis industry employed more than 300,000 full time personnel in the US in 2020. Revenues from the US legal cannabis industry are projected to reach $45 billion by 2025. The economic impact of cannabis in the US is estimated to be $100 billion by 2024. Cannabis jobs are among the highest paid jobs in the US. The cannabis industry already meets the minimum wage requirement of $15 per hour that is currently being proposed. All this while cannabis banking and the federal status of cannabis remains illegal.

Some of the universities introducing cannabis in their curriculum are medical universities that are looking at cannabis's potential as an universal medicine in the treatment of various diseases, in handling the opioid epidemic, and for harm reduction from excessive pharmaceutical drug usage. Students receiving a medical education are now starting to learn about cannabis, since it is increasingly being administered as medicine to millions of patients worldwide. The current medical education curriculum does not cover cannabis as a treatment option, creating a situation where emerging doctors and physicians are out of sync with ground realities. Much of the research funding and support for medical research on cannabis is provided by leading research institutions that have tied up with universities.

Universities with courses in the field of agriculture are offering three to four year courses covering all aspects of the plant, including its seed management, cultivation, fertilizer management, harvesting, research, extraction and business related aspects. With the signing of the US Farm Bill in 2018, and the inclusion of hemp within it, the cultivation of cannabis is picking up speed, as several states look to scale up beyond pilot programs to large scale cultivation. Many private players are starting to offer short term courses that give an overview of the plant, or skill an individual on a particular aspect of the plant. Much of the research into the agricultural aspects of the cannabis plant in the US is being funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 

Research into the industrial uses of cannabis represents a vast untapped area with wide ranging impact to bring about sustainability in the areas of food, beverages, biofuels, construction, textiles, fibers, paper and packaging, advanced carbon uses, animal feed, carbon sequestering, wellness, cosmetics, agriculture, biodegradable plastics, tourism, soil rejuvenation, etc. Much of the research into these areas in the US is funded by governmental agencies, such as the Department of Energy (DOE), that is looking into the insulating capabilities of hemp that can achieve greater energy efficiency.

In Canada, the Bureau of Cannabis Control is funding university research into a wide range of areas.

The US, Canada, the Caribbean and Israel are among the few countries that offer a formal cannabis educational program at the university level, and have university research programs in this area. These programs have seen enthusiastic takers and are looking to scale up. The majority of countries the world over, however, do not offer any kind of education at the university level on this very important medicinal, recreational, spiritual, agricultural and industrial plant due to its prohibited status globally. There is an urgent need to scale up university education on cannabis, especially at the university level, as the art of growing the plant and knowledge of its uses, both traditional and new, continues to become extinct worldwide. For this, the plant must be legalized for all purposes world wide.

 

The cannabis plant is currently destroyed wherever it is found growing. Many natural varieties of the plant have disappeared from the face of the earth. The few that survive in each country today constantly face the threat of extinction from overzealous drug and law enforcement agencies, and the misinformed public. People who possess vital traditional knowledge of growing the plant - mostly poor small farmers, minorities and indigenous people - who also possess precious indigenous varieties of the plant, are being forced to take up other forms of livelihood, that is, if they are lucky to not end up in prison. 

 

The plant-related economic activities have the potential to combat and reverse the ravages of climate change that have been brought about by the unsustainable industries that straddle the world today. The plant has the potential to provide universal healthcare for the world's poor and ill. The global cannabis industry can generate millions of jobs. Cannabis, as a safe intoxicant, can reduce the harms to society caused by alcohol, tobacco, and the abuse of legal and illegal synthetic drugs. Cannabis, as the world's foremost entheogen, can re-ignite studies in the areas related to the mind and spirituality. Focusing on cannabis education and research, and providing the skills for today's youth in this area, will go a long way in securing their future, boosting scientific research and its application, in  reviving the precious endangered plant, and in charting a more sustainable course for mankind.

Related articles

The following set of articles related to the subject are taken from various media. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article.  

'Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center has been awarded a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to define economic opportunities for hemp in the western United States.

The five-year project is funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Sustainable Agricultural Systems grant program. Oregon State scientists are partnering with eight institutions across the nation on this research, which addresses the needs of Native American and other rural community businesses and farmers in a four-state Western Pacific region.'

https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/oregon-state-receives-10-million-grant-study-hemp-market-western-us

'Central State University and its multidisciplinary team, partnering with 1890 land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a 1994 land-grant Tribal College and 1862 Land-grant Universities, will investigate using hemp as an aquaculture feed ingredient to address food safety concerns about consuming seafood raised with hemp feed additives. They will also research ways to increase economic markets and production sustainability for seafood and hemp. ($10 million)'

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/10/06/usda-announces-more-146m-investment-sustainable-agricultural

'SMART boasts eight chapters, including Pearson’s alma mater, Brown University, as well as Rutgers University, The University of Texas-Austin, and Cornell, which now has a medicinal plant cannabis chemistry program thanks in part to SMART’s on-campus advocacy. Chapters have also bloomed from Stockton University in New Jersey, which offers a minor in cannabis studies, and at agricultural sciences powerhouse Tuskegee University in Alabama, which is currently studying industrial hemp with support from SMART’s free resources.

Pearson plans to expand the org’s national footprint by enabling cannabis research and opportunities for every campus he can reach. “We want to be a hub for the best information resources and to lower the barrier to entry for folks,” he explains.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/ivy-leaguer-left-football-to-normalize-cannabis

'Oaksterdam University in Oakland, California, is a pioneer in cannabis education whose legacy is being the blueprint for many cannabis study programs started by other academic institutions. Since its founding, Oaksterdam has faced federal raids, a fire at its main campus and a global pandemic. Dale Sky Jones, executive chancellor, president and CEO of Oaksterdam, calls such tough times “fertilizer for innovation.” In this episode of Seed to CEO, Dale talks about how she navigated the “poopy times” to build the respected institution of today.

Dale shares:

- How she overcame Oaksterdam’s earliest financial and organizational challenges to eventually expand the university.
- How the four-agency federal raid changed how the institution operated.
- Why policy reform is a critical aspect of Oaksterdam’s mission.
- How the educational needs of the industry have changed and what the future looks like.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/podcast/higher-learning-how-oaksterdam-university-pioneered-cannabis-education/


'“What we found over the weeks that we were sampling, the amounts of CBD and THC went up proportionately in all of these different cultivars for all of these different stresses,” Toth said.

By week four, at harvest time, they found that nearly every plant (except those treated with herbicide, which were nearly dead) produced the expected ratio of CBD to THC, with high levels of CBD corresponding to levels of THC above the 0.3% THC threshold.'

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/07/hemp-goes-hot-due-genetics-not-environmental-stress

'“WSU is one of the leading universities in the country on cannabis research,” said Michael McDonell, CCPRO director and professor at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. “The center status recognizes our researchers’ outstanding, multi-disciplinary scholarship on cannabis. It also brings together under one center work on everything from research focused on the impact of cannabis on development to scholarship on cannabis and public safety, as well as our growing hemp research.”'

https://news.wsu.edu/2021/06/02/cannabis-research-center-established-washington-state-university/

'A tumor is a mass of swollen tissue. Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia discovered that cannabis is an incredibly successful herb for reducing many types of tumors, both benign and malignant (cancerous). The DEA and other federal agencies had ordered these tumor studies done after hearing erroneous reports of possible immunicological problems associated with cannabis smoke. But, in 1975, instead of health problems, an apparent medical breakthrough occurred and successful tumor reductions were recorded! Following this remarkably positive discovery by the Medical College of Virginia, orders were immediately handed down by the DEA and the National Institutes of Health to defund all further cannabis/tumor research and reporting! Millions of Americans who might be alive today are dead because of these and other DEA orders regarding marijuana. In 1996 and 2006, the Medical College of Virginia again applied to receive grants for cannabis research and again were turned down by the DEA' 

 

- The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer

'Toombs said that USDA hemp research includes working on standardizing THC and CBD testing and establishing a new collection of hemp germplasm with Cornell University.

She said USDA scientists “have a proven track record of revolutionizing American agriculture and pioneering technology advancements to bring new commodity innovations to consumers.”

“We have challenged ourselves to discover the next bold move in agriculture, and industrial hemp is positioned to achieve that same success,” she said.'

https://hempindustrydaily.com/usda-creating-hemp-germplasm-collection-funding-lab-to-study-plant-breeding/

'Last summer, researchers at the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin-Madison invited growers in their states to submit certain information about their crop for the database in exchange for a discount on cannabinoid sampling.

The result is the Midwestern Hemp Database, which also includes participants from Michigan State University, Purdue University and growers in their respective states.

“We wanted to work together to stop working in silos all the time and share information across the region, not just within our own state, and figure out what’s working and what’s not for our growers,” said Phillip Alberti, educator for commercial agriculture at the University of Illinois Extension.'

https://hempindustrydaily.com/despite-pandemic-midwest-hemp-producers-build-regional-database-to-spot-best-cultivation-practices/

'Investigators with the University of Victoria in Vancouver assessed prescription drug use patterns over a six-month period in a cohort of 1,145 authorized medical cannabis patients.

Researchers reported that 28 percent of subjects acknowledged using opioid medications at the initiation of the trial. This fell to 11 percent six months later. Participants’ mean opioid dosage fell by 78 percent over the trial period – a finding consistent with prior studies.

Researchers also reported declines in subjects’ use of prescription anti-depressants, benzodiazepines, and anti-seizure medications. Prior studies have similarly reported declines in patients use of benzodiazepines and other prescription medications following the initiation of medical cannabis.'

https://norml.org/news/2021/01/21/study-medical-marijuana-treatment-associated-with-significant-declines-in-the-use-of-opioids-at-six-months

'The Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) announced today that it has awarded $29,950,494 in public university research grant funding to universities across California.

“The research conducted through these public university grants will provide critical information for evaluating our legal cannabis system and its impacts,” Bureau of Cannabis Control Chief Lori Ajax said. “This research will be a valuable tool to inform future cannabis policy in California.”

Research proposals had to fall within one of the several specified categories, including public health, criminal justice and public safety, economic, environmental impacts, and the cannabis industry.'

https://cannabis.ca.gov/2020/11/13/bureau-of-cannabis-control-announces-public-university-research-grant-funding-recipients/

'UC Riverside will use a new approach to produce high quality, cellulose-rich hemp pulp that improves the strength and insulating properties of so called “hempcrete” building materials.

Hempcrete emits zero gaseous emissions and zero toxic waste products. The research team will now look to produce larger hempcrete blocks and perform field trials in partnership with private companies Hempire USA, Match Patch Pro, and The Hurd Co to explore adoption of this approach with respect to commercial products.'

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awards-nearly-75000-uc-riverside-student-team-sustainable-materials-research

'The project – named the “CUREs Hemp Initiative Project (CHIP)’’ – will be interdisciplinary, involving the following University science disciplines:

- Chemistry students will investigate extraction techniques most applicable to the desired end-use of hemp products and biofuel feedstock.
- Biological Sciences students will be engaged in cancer research as they investigate the conditions under which cannabidiol (CBD) – a chemical compound in hemp – induces cell death versus when cells are protected against cell-damaging stressors.
- Food Science students will investigate different methods of extraction of food protein from hemp seed protein powder and hemp seed oil and test the methods’ effectiveness.
- Animal Science students will look at the effects of hemp extract on parasitic larvae in light of the increased drug resistance of parasites.'

https://www.desu.edu/news/2020/09/university-awarded-nsf-grant-study-student-research-outcomes

'Wayne State University researchers assessed the effects of oral THC versus placebo on corticolimbic responses to threatening imagery in subjects with and without PTSD. Authors reported that THC dosing “lowered threat-related amygdala reactivity” in post-traumatic stress patients. Corticolimbic brain regions, including the amygdala, are involved in threat processing. In patients with PTSD, the amygdala typically responds in a hyperactive manner to trauma-related imagery.

Authors concluded: “These preliminary data suggest that THC modulates threat-related processing in trauma-exposed individuals with PTSD, which may prove advantageous as a pharmacological approach to treating stress- and trauma-related psychopathology.”'

https://norml.org/news/2020/08/13/clinical-trial-oral-thc-associated-with-reduced-amygdala-reactivity

'"Patients with sickle cell disease and chronic pain have no real alternative to chronic opioid therapy, which has severe limitations and disadvantages," said Laura DeCastro, MD, MBBS and Pitt associate professor of medicine, director of benign hematology for the Institute for Transfusion Medicine and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and director of Clinical Translational Research for the Sickle Cell Disease Research Center of Excellence. "We are proud to have this opportunity to study potential cannabis treatments for these patients who live in constant debilitating pain."

"Our partnership with the University of Pittsburgh aligns with our mission of promoting well-being for all and to provide access and treatment options to communities who need it most," said Wrigley. "SCD is a devastating disease that has impacted many African American families, both medically and financially, and we are hopeful that our research partnership with Pitt will help to improve outcomes through cannabis."'

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-pittsburgh-and-parallel-a-leading-cannabis-company-join-forces-in-pennsylvania-medical-marijuana-research-program-301106823.html

'Dr Riley indicated that the SRC also has the capabilities to test the entire spectrum of terpenes — the taste profiles and aroma of cannabis — which have been linked to the treatment of cancer in a recent university study.

“Public safety is one of the major focuses of the SRC, and we aim to always use advanced technologies to ensure that precise information is provided, which can guide policy and can also inform the public in terms of making good decisions,” Dr Riley emphasised.'
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/medical-cannabis-related-evaluations-begin-september_173511?profile=1373


'Investigators from the John Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore and the Digestive Disease Institute in Cleveland compared the prevalence of UC complications during hospitalization in cannabis users versus matched controls. Researchers reported that cannabis users, on average, had shorter hospital stays compared to non-users and were far less likely to require either a partial or a total colectomy (a surgery to remove part or all of the colon). '
https://norml.org/news/2019/08/29/study-cannabis-use-associated-with-fewer-complications-in-patients-with-ulcerative-colitis


'The technological provenance of cannabinoids might not matter as much to the pharmaceutical sector, where consumers tend to be less averse to genetic engineering. But according to Ethan Russo, director of research and development at the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute in Prague, biochemically derived cannabinoids, even when mixed and matched into therapeutic formulations, will probably never equal the botanical synergy of the hundreds of molecules that are found in cannabis.

The existence of this ‘entourage’ effect is not universally accepted. But to Russo, “The plant is nature’s design for this panoply of chemicals”.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02525-4


'Sisley, the petitioner in the DEA lawsuit, says she’s staying realistic for now. She says she recently received word from a former DEA official in Arizona on the matter, who claimed that it’s very likely the case that the DEA’s recent announcement is the agency’s latest in a series of stall tactics. “Rule-making process is code word for delay,” Sisley continues. “[The DEA] could slow play us for years. So I’m not celebrating yet.”'
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/pot-research-university-mississippi-cannabis-license-dea-886606/


'The stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the University of Colorado Boulder.

But digging into health trends revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02529-0


'For many adults, researchers say, moderate use is probably fine. “I compare it to alcohol,” says Earl Miller, a cognitive neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory in Cambridge. “Too much or the wrong situation can be bad, but in other situations it can be beneficial. I think we’re going to find the same thing with cannabis.”'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02530-7


'Cannabis use is increasing among those ages 65 and older, according to data published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers affiliated with the New York School of Medicine assessed trends in self-reported cannabis use among seniors. They reported that 4.2 percent of seniors acknowledged engaging in past-year cannabis consumption in 2018, up from 2.4 percent in 2015 and 0.4 percent in 2006.

The study's findings are consistent with those of prior papers similarly reporting an uptick in marijuana use among older Americans. According to a 2019 study published in the journal Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, marijuana use among seniors is associated with self-reported improvements in pain management, day-to-day functioning, and in their overall health and quality of life'
https://norml.org/news/2020/02/27/seniors-more-frequently-turning-to-cannabis


'Investigators with the Yale School of Medicine and the Medical College of Wisconsin assessed hospitalization rates among SCD patients with and without a history of cannabis use.

They reported that SCD patients who used cannabis daily had "1.8 fewer annual [hospital] admissions and 1.2 fewer emergency room (ER) visits" as compared to non-users.

Authors concluded, "We show that people with SCD with more severe pain crisis are more likely to use daily cannabis, yet have lower rates of hospital admission and ER use as compared with others with similar disease severity and pain impact."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/02/27/study-sickle-cell-disease-patients-who-use-cannabis-less-likely-to-require-hospitalization

'“The research component of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program sets it apart from the rest of the nation,” Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Pennsylvania’s premiere medical schools will be able to help shape the future of treatment for patients not just here, but across the country. These are patients suffering from serious medical conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and opioid use disorder.”'
https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Health-Details.aspx?newsid=532


'One of the nation’s premier learning institutions is bear-hugging the once-feared cannabis plant like never before.

A newly formed Cannabis Research Center at UC Berkeley launched Tuesday night. The center could be the beginning of something huge in academia, said co-director Van Butsic, who has a Ph.D in forestry, and is studying cannabis farming and water use in 2019.

Butsic said researchers all across the university are performing or proposing cannabis-related studies. The Cannabis Center hopes to catalyze those elements to boost grant funding and publish major findings in leading journals—the dual fuels of academic success.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/uc-berkeley-launches-a-cannabis-research-center



'There is no cure for autism (although a small percentage of children do appear to outgrow it), and there are few treatments for its symptoms. But, because of the potential promise of cannabis treatments, the Ray and Tye Noorda Foundation, a nonprofit based in Utah, donated $4.7 million to the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) at the UC San Diego School of Medicine — the largest private gift to date for medicinal cannabis research in the United States, according to an April 25 statement from the university.'
https://www.livescience.com/62455-can-marijuana-treat-autism.html


'SIU follows a growing number of major universities that have already started researching hemp and cannabis.

Northern Michigan University has created a four-year degree in medicinal plant chemistry, the University of Connecticut is offering a course in cannabis horticulture and the University of Pennsylvania has launched a hemp cultivation program and received state approval to study medical pot.'
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/siu-hemp-medical-marijuana-cultivation/


'This week Jordan takes a detour from the cannabis industry to take a look at the science of it all. Angela Bryan conducts research on marijuana at the University of Colorado Boulder. She studies marijuana’s connection to risky teen behavior, its effects on cognition, and even why it might make you hit the gym more often.'
http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/working/2018/10/what_s_it_like_to_study_the_effects_of_marijuana_in_a_state_where_cannabis.html



'After more than a year of delays, members of the Southern University Board of Supervisors got down right blunt about a medical marijuana deal they say went sour. They also chose to move ahead with a new firm to manage their growing operations.'
http://www.wafb.com/2018/11/13/southern-university-inks-new-deal-rolls-with-medical-marijuana-operation/


'In another six months, Indian researchers will launch the country's first set of clinical trials with medicines derived from hemp or cannabis that is more popular as a recreational drug or intoxicating agent.

To be undertaken by doctors at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi in association with scientists at Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, the trials will explore the therapeutic role of medicines made out of cannabis in cancer, epilepsy and sickle cell anaemia treatment.'
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/indian-trial-hemp-derived-704582.html


'Dr. Nathaniel Schuster of the University of California San Diego will be investigating how each of these chemicals affects pain intensity, photophobia (light sensitivity), phonophobia (sound sensitivity), and nausea, and assessing potential psychoactive side effects. This $200,000, 3-year study will be the first to look at the use of cannabis for acute migraine treatment in a placebo-controlled, randomized and blinded study. Dr. Schuster’s critical project could have an enormous impact by providing insights into whether marijuana helps relieve different migraine symptoms and if so, which chemicals are most effective.'
https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/announcing-our-2018-mrf-impact-award-on-cannabis-for-the-treatment-of-migraine/


'Moving forward, state medical schools will be allowed to team with more than one MMJ company to conduct research.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/pennsylvania-state-schools-research/



'As a green gold rush in legal marijuana and its non-drug cousin hemp spreads across North America, a growing number of colleges are adding cannabis to the curriculum to prepare graduates for careers cultivating, researching, analyzing and marketing the herb.

Research shows there are high times ahead for all kinds of careers in cannabis , ranging from greenhouse and dispensary operators to edible product developers, marketing specialists, quality assurance lab directors and pharmaceutical researchers. Arcview Market Research, which focuses on cannabis industry trends, projects the industry will support 467,000 jobs by 2022.'
https://www.apnews.com/111fc6b22d4f4301bceaa6f4576b98be


What do you get when you combine one of the finest business schools in the country with an emerging industry hailed by many as the modern equivalent to what Silicon Valley was two decades ago? You get the Wharton Cannabis Business Club.'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/irisdorbian/2018/11/30/ivy-league-business-student-group-makes-cannabis-its-focus/


High school graduates sitting next to neurosurgeons sitting next to politicians and policy makers sitting next to grandmothers in class...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LwhGBiDhLQ