California Is Using $30 Million In Marijuana Revenue To Support Research On Consumer Preferences, Crop Yields And Sustainability

California officials are inviting research proposals for a second round of
grants under a program meant to better educate the public on the state’s
marijuana law and help policymakers make informed decisions on the issue.

For the new $30 million round of the grant program, which is funded by
marijuana tax revenue, the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) said it is
prioritizing proposals in research areas including educational methods of
improving public health and safety, crop yields, state and local marijuana
policies, consumer preferences, environmental sustainability and other
topics.

“At a time when the federal government is pulling back funding for
cannabis-related research, California is stepping up,” DCC Director Nicole
Elliott said in a press release on Thursday.

To that point, the Trump administration has promoted funding cuts to
certain cannabis-related research initiatives, including those impacting
California institutions.

“DCC is proud to partner with California’s world-class public universities
to generate the data and insights necessary to inform thoughtful policy,
protect public health, and guide the evolution of this industry
responsibly,” Elliott said. “These impacts don’t stop at our borders—what
the Department learns here will shape important conversations and policies
across the nation.”

This latest round of $30 million in grants brings the state’s total
research-focused contributions to $80 million, DCC said. One of the earlier
rounds, in 2023, focused on studies investigating novel cannabinoids like
delta-8 THC, the genetics of “legacy” strains from the state and monopolies
and unfair competition in the market.

Meanwhile, last month, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic
Development (GO-Biz) announced the recipients of over $52 million in
community reinvestment grants to nonprofits and local health departments,
also funded by marijuana tax revenue.

That marked the seventh round of cannabis-funded California Community
Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) under the state program.

Legalization in California has created a number of new grant programs aimed
at addressing the consequences of marijuana prohibition and attempting to
nurture a strong, well-regulated legal industry.


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Separately, earlier this month the California Assembly unanimously approved
a bill to delay the implementation of an planned hike on marijuana taxes.

California’s Supreme Court separately delivered a victory for the state’s
marijuana program last month, rescinding a lower court ruling in a case
that suggested federal prohibition could be used locally to undermine the
cannabis market.

The state Supreme Court ruling also came just weeks after California
officials unveiled a report on the current status and future of the state’s
marijuana market—with independent analysts hired by regulators concluding
that the federal prohibition on cannabis that prevents interstate commerce
is meaningfully bolstering the illicit market.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) did sign a bill in 2022 that would have empowered him
to enter into interstate cannabis commerce agreements with other legal
states, but that power was incumbent upon federal guidance or an assessment
from the state attorney general that sanctioned such activity.

Meanwhile, a California Senate committee recently declined to advance a
bipartisan bill that would have created a psilocybin pilot program for
military veterans and former first responders.

New Hampshire Lawmakers Advance Psilocybin Penalty Reform But Reject
Medical Marijuana Homegrow

The post California Is Using $30 Million In Marijuana Revenue To Support
Research On Consumer Preferences, Crop Yields And Sustainability appeared
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