Higher Education and the Biotechnology Sector Partner to Study the Science of Marijuana

For years, industry and academia have partnered to find better ways of delivering a better product to consumers. This model has allowed entrepreneurs to take advantage of scientific findings and reliable data to improve their operations and products. Now, one cannabis company is partnering with academic researchers to better understand marijuana.

An Unusual Partnership

The Denver Business Journal reports that Front Range Biosciences – an agricultural biotechnology company based in Lafayette, Colorado which specializes in marijuana – has partnered with the University of California-Davis to study marijuana. The deal began with a $150,000 gift – one of several installments – provided to the University of California by the company, which says it is designed to advance understanding of the medicinal and nutraceutical uses of cannabis. In turn, a professor in the UC-Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology says the college is excited to have the opportunity to study and decode the hemp genome, which will enable new insights into the genetic bases of complex pathways of secondary metabolism in plants. The company also seeks to reduce pesticide residues and excessive application of fertilizers in compounds with medicinal benefits.

Vast Potential for Cannabis Entrepreneurs

Partnerships such as this have significant potential for all cannabis business owners – not just those funding this particular research. A better understanding of the hemp genome will allow all farmers and grow operations to yield better crops more efficiently. Decreased power and water demands are not only beneficial for profitable operations, but also for conservation of California’s valuable natural resources. Medical marijuana, in particular, can benefit from scientific research which enables a better understanding of its chemical and neurological effects on the body. Such research can provide a firmer basis for legal protection of medical marijuana rights – both for patients and dispensary owners. Reduction in the use of pesticides and fertilizers can ensure that the medical benefits of marijuana are accessed without unpleasant side effects or unnecessary toxins entering users’ bodies.

Now, perhaps more than ever, it is important for the private sector to support academic and scientific research into medical marijuana. Popular Science reports that federal law makes it highly difficult for researchers to obtain marijuana for scientific studies. In addition to holding a DEA license and gaining FDA approval for a study, researchers must obtain research-grade marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In the current frosty political climate – in which federal law recognizes no medical benefit to marijuana whatsoever – such federal approvals and inventory can be difficult to come by. NIDA was established with a Congressional mandate to research the harmful effect of drug use. It can therefore be difficult (if not impossible) to obtain approval for a study demonstrating the therapeutic effects of marijuana. Yet scientific inquiry cannot be limited to certain policies, beliefs, or political administration. Private industry and research must continue to pursue research to better understand the world around us.

A medical marijuana collective lawyer can help your business integrate scientific solutions with effective business strategies to prepare your cannabis business for profitable operations for years to come.

The Los Angeles Cannabis Law Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Colorado marijuana biotech partners with California college to study hemp, October 26, 2017, by Ben Miller, Denver Business Journal

More Blog Entries:

Rescheduling Marijuana Could Help Researchers, April 22, 2016, by Cannabis Law Group