The California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) has awarded $29,950,494 in public research grant funding for 36 cannabis-related studies across nine universities, the agency announced on Monday.
The BCC said it received more than 100 applications for the program to research cannabis issues related to public health, economics, environmental impacts, and criminal justice and public safety.
Lori Ajax, chief of the BCC, said the studies will “provide critical information” for evaluating the state’s legal cannabis program.
“This research will be a valuable tool to inform future cannabis policy in California,” she said in a press release.
The University of California at Berkeley was awarded grants for nine research proposals, ranging from local regulations to unregulated cultivation to light and noise pollution. UCLA is receiving funding for seven studies, including consumer demographics, cannabis use disparities among sexual and gender minority youth, and marketing.
UC San Francisco researchers will receive grant money for five proposals – one study on the effects of cannabis on brain, immune, and sensory systems was awarded the $2 million maximum allowed under the program.
The UC Davis had five research proposals approved, ranging from cannabis use in early psychosis, economic and market impacts, and worker knowledge of occupational health and industry hazards. UC San Diego was awarded funding for four studies, including risks and benefits for cannabis use among older adults and packaging and labeling on edibles.
California State University of Humboldt researchers were awarded two grants for studies focused on jobs and the economic impact of the industry on rural Northern California, while CSU Dominguez received funds to study the industry in South Bay, Los Angeles.
UC Santa Barbara was approved for one study focused on surface water emissions from cannabis cultivation sites.
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