Researchers at the oldest college in Utah are opening a medical cannabis research center and seeking for a DEA-approved grow site in order to overcome some of the regulatory hurdles. 

On Nov. 21, the University of Utah announced the launch of the new center and its initiative. University of Utah Health, in partnership with the state of Utah, launched a new research initiative to push forward the scientific understanding of medical cannabis and help patients and providers make better informed health decisions.

In the years following the launch of the Utah Medical Cannabis Program, Utah State Legislation identified a great need for more medical cannabis research to catch up with the growing number of unproven medical claims. To do this, and fund the center, the Utah State Legislature approved House Bill 230, and it was signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on March 15.

High Times reported last March that the University of Utah confirmed that it’s starting the early planning phases to build a Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR). On July 1, the University of Utah established the CMCR to create research opportunities to support the efficacious application of cannabis in our state.

Could the center help provide evidence to support medical claims in the future? “The Center for Medical Cannabis Research is focused on creating opportunities for researchers to have the necessary support to begin answering these types of questions,” Valerie Ahanonu, senior manager of CMCR, told High Times in an email.

“As cultural views on cannabis have shifted and states have opened access to patients seeing benefits with medical cannabis, research within the field has been a leading proponent to bolstering or dispelling these claims. From epilepsy to oncological supportive care, we have seen research bring to light aspects of safe cannabis use that address patients’ needs and identify risks surrounding cannabis use as well.”

Ahanonu continued, “The CMCR plans to be a hub for translational research that through pilot grants, funds collaborative studies and trials that not only focus on advancing our understanding of evidence based medical cannabis outcomes, but also focuses on addressing the standards and quality of medical cannabis products made available to patients. By creating a network of multidimensional researchers working collectively we hope to inspire a bench to bedside model that advances the overall understanding of the therapeutic benefits and risks of medical cannabis.”

The CMCR listed several core strategies to achieve this goal:

• Supporting research about medical cannabis within the University of Utah and statewide
• Improving patient, provider, and pharmacist education about cannabis risks and benefits
• Working to instate an DEA-approved grow site for research-grade medical cannabis

Local leaders are hopeful. “This is one of the premier research institutions in the nation,” said Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, MBA, who represents District 22. Dailey-Provost sponsored the bill that funds the CMCR. “We couldn’t ask for a better place to keep the heart of a meaningful research program than the University of Utah.”

Dailey-Provost is a doctoral candidate in public health at University of Utah Health, and believes the university is well-equipped to handle this type of research, and she also recognizes the great need for more data. “We keep hearing from providers that they just don’t have enough information to comfortably recommend this for patients,” Dailey-Provost says. “What we ultimately need is reliable, evidence-based research information on the medication that we are already offering to patients in the state of Utah.”

Jerry Cochran, M.S.W., Ph.D., interim director for the CMCR, describes the spectrum of research the center will support as “bench to bedside.” Starting with pilot grants to help scientists begin projects on medical cannabis, the CMCR will promote research ranging from chemical characterization of the active components of cannabis through to late-stage clinical trials. 

The center will partner with the Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah to create educational materials to inform the public about medical cannabis. The Genetic Science Learning Center will develop materials designed to help reach patients and providers with the knowledge to make informed decisions. 

The CMCR also plans to work with the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library to produce an accessible database of the most rigorous and up-to-date information in the field.

Hurdles of Medical Cannabis in the U.S.

The center acknowledges the roadblocks they face as medical cannabis research is hampered due to the federal status of cannabis. “One significant hurdle to cannabis research is the limited supply of research-grade medical cannabis, especially from sites that are approved by the DEA,” the university reported.  “The CMCR aims to eliminate this bottleneck by supporting the establishment of an DEA-approved cannabis grow site for research.”

Setting the stage for change in the way medical cannabis research is hampered at the federal level, on Dec. 2, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the “Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, H.R. 8454,” (the Cannabis Research Bill).

In Utah, medical cannabis patients began applying for ID cards on July 4, 2019, and medical cannabis cultivation began in summer of 2020. Regulators finally issued dispensary licenses in Jan. 2020, about one year and two months after the law passed. Medical cannabis sales began in October 2020, about two years after voters approved the law. 

But doctors in Utah are reluctant to give out recommendations for medical cannabis as they know it has been marketed as a cure-all and that there are many unproven medical claims. “In certain circles, medical cannabis is being pushed as a cure-all, but I think it’s going to help certain things and not others,” Cochran said in the news release. “Science needs to take the lead in this area so that we continue to help people.”

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The University of Utah recently confirmed that it’s starting the early planning phases to build a Center for Medical Cannabis Research. House Bill 230, which was passed by the House and the Senate, was signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on March 15.

According to bill sponsor Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, HB-230 will expand the state’s ability to conduct research and offer up scientific-backed information. Specifically in reference to the opening of a medical cannabis research center at the University of Kentucky in September 2022, Dailey-Provost believes it’s time for Utah to do so as well. “I figured if Kentucky can do it … we can create one in Utah as well,” she said, according to The Daily Utah Chronicle.

She added that previously, Utah legislators have been listening to studies conducted from out of state, rather than conducting their own research from within. “What we hear from providers, especially physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs who can recommend [cannabis] as a medication is that they just don’t feel like they have enough information to really confidently recommend this as part of a comprehensive health care plan,” Dailey-Provost said.

The main goal of the Utah-based Center for Medical Cannabis Research is to become a hub that monitors all research being conducted in the state, as well as “identify gaps in patient accessibility, and support researchers and going out and finding grounds, doing the work, talking to other states about what work is going on.”

Eventually, Dailey-Provost also wants the state to have a National Institute of Health-approved (NIH) medical cannabis cultivation site. “There are only six in the nation that grow medical grade cannabis that is eligible for study by NIH grants,” she said. “I think Utah with its robust agricultural heritage, we have an opportunity to maybe be a center for meeting those needs for research being done at the National Institutes of Health.”

The passage of HB-230 also includes $650,000 to fund the Center for Medical Cannabis Research, which comes from the Department of Health’s Qualified Patient Enterprise Fund. According to University of Utah Associate Vice President Dr. Rachel Hess, they want to ensure that they do everything they can to help usher in this new era of medical cannabis research. “Obviously, everything can’t be accomplished in one year, but the legislature has really made a longitudinal commitment, so ensuring that the science that is prepared to go…can go in the first year and then staging subsequently after that are the key steps…to ensure that we really are able to deliver on the promise of this vision,” said Hess.

More importantly, the Center for Medical Cannabis Research will open up research opportunities for other universities as well. “I think that’s going to be really important to communicate with all of the institutions across Utah about, about this work that the legislature is sponsoring and then bringing together that community to form those collaborations to move this work forward,” Hess added.

The plan for the Center for Medical Cannabis Research’s year will begin with a focus on up-and-coming research initiatives. The second year will be an opportunity for researchers to begin planning ahead. Ultimately, Hess concluded that she’s very proud of the new opportunity. “We really feel like Utah can lead in many ways in this area and are just really proud of the forward-thinking nature of creating something like this,” she said.

While medical cannabis embarks on a new journey with the university research center, psilocybin is also taking center stage. Last month, a psilocybin mushroom bill was introduced in Utah, which would emulate regulations similar to the state’s medical cannabis program. It would allow psilocybin therapy to be legal for patients with qualifying conditions. “This is not for everyone, but if it’s for someone that is desperate (for help) with their anxiety, depression and PTSD—that’s pushing many, unfortunately, to suicide, I want them to have access in a way that’s safe, that we can regulate,” said Senate Majority Leader Luz Escamilla.

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