Hydrolife Magazine October/November 2016 (USA Edition)

live
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THE LAWS PROHIBIT
THE UNIVERSITY FROM
ADMINISTERING MARIJUANA TO
ANYONE; THEY CAN ONLY STUDY
THOSE THAT SELF-IDENTIFY AS
MARIJUANA USERS
uptake heavy metals in the soil such as
selenium, which can be problematic for
many growers in that area of the country.
He also discussed the opportunities the
funds will allow for research into the
engineering of different strains of hemp.
Human health effects are to be examined
as well. This side of the research
is a little more difficult to draw concrete
deductions from as currently without a
Schedule I licence. The laws prohibit the
university from administering marijuana
to anyone; they can only study those that
self-identify as marijuana users. Regardless,
researchers at CSU hope to look
at the benefits of medical marijuana on
those who suffer from seizures for whom
traditional medication is unable to help.
They are able to administer cannabis
to lab mice, however. Studies will be
conducted on the neurological effects
and how different brain cells of the mice
interact with each other while under the
influence of medical cannabis.
Other health issues the
university hopes to research include
continued trials on the benefits of cannabis
for sufferers of such diseases and
afflictions as PTSD, glaucoma, Crohn’s
disease and various cancers. In anticipation
of state funds, CSU Pueblo
president Lesley Di Mare has proposed
the creation of the Institute of Cannabis
Research. The first of its kind in the
nation, the institute will be a multidisciplinary
consortium of researchers
and students looking at myriad effects of
medical marijuana. The institute’s goals
are to publish articles and host scholarly
conferences about marijuana research.
The state funds will help to create a
peer-reviewed journal devoted to research
on hemp production and medical
cannabis usage.
“It will bring positive light to this
institution. That doesn’t mean that
we are pro-recreational marijuana or
pro-medical marijuana. We are proresearch,”
Di Mare told reporters at
The Pueblo Chieftain last August.
Administrators at the university are
hopeful that with the establishment of
the institute, they can help to produce
or foster the development of intellectual
property surrounding medical marijuana
and hemp. State lawmakers hope the
infusion of funds to create this new institute
will also help position the Colorado
State University at Pueblo as a frontrunner
in the research of cannabis, hemp
and hemp oil. Patent development into
procedure or engineering of cannabis
would help the university, the region, the
state and the industry as a whole.
On a related note, a Colorado State
University researcher recently raised
more than $40,000 through a crowdfunding
platform to be able to study the
effects of long-term usage of medical
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