Which University Has A Cannabis Research Center?

One of the most common arguments you’ll hear from people who disagree with cannabis use is that it hasn’t been researched enough to prove its health benefits.

Which University Has A Cannabis Research Center

This is wholly untrue, however, and when you consult history, the United States Pharmacopeia’s support of cannabis-based medicine actually dates right the way back to 1850.

Since the Medical Marijuana Research Act through the U.S. House Bill was passed recently, there is a wave of new cannabis research across the country, and will hopefully shift the paradigm, and the newfound ability for deeper research into cannabis will only prove beneficial in the long term. 

So, if you’re interested in what universities in the United States are currently doing research on cannabis, or have a specific cannabis research center, then read on, and we’ll tell you all you need to know!

Cannabis Research Centers Across The U.S.

If you’re looking for a guide to some of the colleges and universities across the U.S that are helping to pioneer cannabis research, then take a look at our list below, which has been pre-arranged into alphabetical order to make finding specific research centers easy. 

Alabama A&M University

Alabama A&M University (abbreviated to AAMU), is a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and a 1980 Land-Grant Institution.

Not only that, but they’re also just one of five AL universities that have a license to grow hemp cannabis and hemp for their research purposes too. 

Notably, the Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station at AAMU has recently become partners with Phylos and Oregon State University to plant over 400,000 cannabis seeds to help further their research. 

  • Lead Researcher: Ernest Cebert, Ph.D., WTARS Manager
  • Led by: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Alabama State University

ALabama State University launched its cannabis research center in 2019, the Alabama State University’s Industrial Hemp & Entomology Research Lab is one of the research centers that are dedicating themselves to discovering the best growing practices for hemp, with a special focus on pest management especially. 

  • Lead Researcher: Dr. Michelle Samuel-Foo, Director of Specialty Crop Research
  • Led by: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

Allan Hancock College

The Industrial Hemp Research Program was introduced to Allan Hancock College by local farmers who produce hemp in the Santa Maria Valley, as they were required to partner up alongside a research institution by the USDA. 

This program’s overarching aim is to help provide farmers with better empirical data surrounding the sex composition and genetics of plants. 

  • Lead Researcher: Dr. Anjali Misra
  • Led by: Agriculture Department

University Of Alabama

The University of Alabama is one of the few state universities that actually conduct hemp research, which is why they tend to focus their efforts on researching further into the cannabinoid content of hemp plants, as well as the best ways to help promote the most efficacious genetics through breeding. 

They have also partnered up with The Wemp Co, which allows them to research on their 20-acre hemp farm. 

  • Lead Researcher: Dr. Lukasz M. Ciesla
  • Led by: College of Art and Sciences

California Poly Humboldt

Established in 2012, Cal Poly – Humboldt’s research institute, “The Humboldt Institute For Interdisciplinary Cannabis Research” (HiiMR) focuses on the intersectional issues of cannabis research. 

  • Lead Researchers: Dr. Dominic Corva, and Dr. Whitney Ogle (Co-Directors)
  • Led by: College of Arts, Humanities and Social Societies

University Of California, Berkeley

The University of California plays host to The Cannabis Research Center, which is focused on furthering the research on the impact of the growth of cannabis on different socio-ecological systems. 

  • Lead Researcher: Eric Biber, CRC Co-Director
  • Led by: Rausser College of Natural Resources

Colorado State University-Pueblo

Touted across the country as the first inter-disciplinary cannabis research center at a regional and comprehensive institution, the Institute of Cannabis Research here was founded in 2016 and has since been one of the top research institutions in the U.S, with monthly research updates provided too. 

  • Lead Researcher: Chad A Kinney Ph.D., Director of the ICR. 
  • Led by: Department of Chemistry

Oregon State University

The Global Hemp Innovation Center plays host to over 60 faculty members specializing in 19 different disciplines, which makes it one of the largest hemp research labs across the U.S. In the past, OSU played host to the only hemp research center in the country from the 1880s to the 1930s. 

  • Lead Researcher: Jay Noller Ph.D., Director
  • Led by: College of Agricultural Studies

Rowan University

The Rowan’s University Institute of Cannabis Research, Policy, & Workplace Development (RPWD) is a relatively new research department, and is designed to help educate businesses, healthcare workers, and policymakers on the effects of the legalization of cannabis. 

Which University Has A Cannabis Research Center (1)

The RPWD also has the Center for Cannabinoid Science & Therapeutics at the Cooper Medical School, which is where they research the medical benefits that cannabis can provide. 

  • Lead Researcher: James Grinias, Ph.D.
  • Led by: Center for Cannabis Workforce Development Social-Behavioral, Center for Cannabis Science & Therapeutics, and the Security and Law Enforcement Cannabis Center (SSLC). 

Thomas Jefferson University

Having claims as one of the “first major health sciences universities in the United States to provide a comprehensive academic resource for the medicinal application and business of cannabis and hemp”, the Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis & Hemp is a top research facility and is owned by one of the leading producers of hemp in the USA, Barry Lambert. 

  • Lead Researcher: Ruth Charbonneau, RN, JD, Associate Director

Conclusion

As you can see, these are just a few of the incredible universities and colleges across the United States (Also check out Is It Legal To Use Cannabis In Kentucky?) that are helping to pave the way for medicinal cannabis thanks to the monumental research that is able to take place.

But, there are many more research centers out there, and we can surely expect to see more in the future too!

David Barton
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