California officials have invited research proposals to be considered for the second round of grant funding under the California Marijuana Law Education Program. The program is designed to educate the public and policymakers about this issue.
The Department of Cannabis Control, (DCC), said that it will prioritize proposals for the $30 million grant program funded by marijuana taxes. These include educational methods of improving health and safety of public, as well as crop yields.
In a Thursday press release, DCC Director Nicole Elliott stated that California was stepping up at a time the federal government has cut funding to cannabis research.
The Trump administration is promoting funding cuts for certain cannabis research projects, which include those that impact California institutions.
Elliott added, “DCC has partnered with California’s public, world-class universities in order to produce the necessary data to help inform responsible policy, safeguard public health and guide this industry’s evolution responsibly.” “These impacts don’t stop at our borders—what the Department learns here will shape important conversations and policies across the nation.”
DCC stated that this latest grant round, which totals $30 million dollars, brings the state’s research contributions up to $80,000,000. DCC said that one of the previous rounds in 2023 focused on research into novel cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC. It also looked at the genetics and legacy strains that were provided by the state, as well as monopolies, unfair competition and the State’s monopoly.
Last month the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, (GO-Biz), announced to non-profits and health departments in their localities the beneficiaries of the over 52 million dollars of community reinvestment grant funds, which were also funded from marijuana tax revenue.
That marked the seventh round of cannabis-funded California Community Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) under the state program.
California legalized marijuana in 2005, and has since created several grant programs to address the negative effects of cannabis prohibition.
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Separately earlier in the month, the California Assembly approved unanimously a bill delaying the implementation of a planned increase 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 Reject Medical Marijuana Growing but Advance Psilocybin Reform
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