* I’ve said for decades that the U of I needs to turn loose its science and agriculture experts on cannabis research. Cannabis is a highly complex plant, and research might find all sorts of uses. Here’s Crain’s…
Discovery Partners Institute, the University of Illinois research center underway in the South Loop, has high hopes to launch a marijuana research facility.
DPI has begun a search for an executive director and researchers, and it has support from the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. But it doesn’t yet have funding commitments from either one for a project that likely will need tens of millions to become a reality.
The cannabis research institute is the first significant effort by the city and state to build on Chicago’s critical mass in the marijuana industry. The city is home to several of the largest U.S. marijuana companies—including Cresco Labs, Green Thumb Industries, Verano and PharmaCann—which employ thousands of workers. Since legalizing recreational marijuana three years ago, sales have grown to about $1.5 billion.
The University of Illinois sees opportunities to draw on its strengths in agriculture, genomics and medicine to study topics ranging from marijuana production to the health impacts of cannabis.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the proposal today…
This is truly the headquarters for most of the cannabis industry in North America, let alone you know, in the United States. And so, being able to do research, which the NIH hasn’t done much of, as you know, being able to foster new innovations for the industry, all of that should happen in the city of Chicago and in the state of Illinois. And so, yeah, having a research institute just makes all the sense in the world, and the industry itself believes that.
Your thoughts?
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 3:21 pm:
“high hopes”
Someone won a newsroom bet
- Cool Papa Bell - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 3:35 pm:
“Higher Education”
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 3:39 pm:
Exciting news. When is the University of Illinois going to revise their policies regarding the use of cannabis by its employees and students?
- XonXoff - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 3:42 pm:
== This is truly the headquarters for most of the cannabis industry in North America ==
Congratulations on your Industry magnetism, Governor. That’s only one measure of success.
For we non-industry-types; the ones who continue to support, defend, and elect you, how about that homegrow option that was quickly thrown under the bus to make your industry status a talking point?
Surely you don’t want all this *to continue* to come off as a money-grab because the state wanted weed business revenue.
It was supposed to be about legalization, not just creating a new industry.
The research and all is great but fix homegrow for we who don’t care at all about making money from “legal” weed. Or just stop pretending like you’ve done some great thing here and Illinois has emerged as a weed HQ.
- XonXoff - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 4:07 pm:
== This is truly the headquarters for most of the cannabis industry in North America ==
Research is good but sounds like more wins for
“The Industry.”
Better fix homegrow for your voters.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 4:17 pm:
===When is the University of Illinois going to revise their policies regarding the use of cannabis by its employees and students?===
Right after the federal government rescinds its drug free schools policy. Until then, unless they want to forego federal student aid and research grants, don’t hold your breath.
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 4:24 pm:
==having a research institute just makes all the sense in the world, and the industry itself believes that==
That’s great, gov, then the industry should fund it, especially when lawmakers are cautioning that next year is going to be tough from a budgetary perspective and items that should be a much bigger priority than weed research - such as lead pipe removal, which has an unquestionably major ROI versus the speculative one of cannabis studies - are going begging for dollars.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 4:54 pm:
Man, some of y’all. This sort of research can help the state’s economy. No commitment yet for state $.
But some of the responses prove my point that some people can always be counted on to complain about literally anything. lol
- In_The_Middle - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 4:59 pm:
===some people can always be counted on to complain about literally anything.===
Me thinks they should give the product a try.
- Barnaby Wilde - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 5:28 pm:
SIU has beaten them to the punch with its Cannabis Science Center, a multi-disciplinary program, est. 2018.
- Give Us Barabbas - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 7:12 pm:
It’s good synergy between academic and commercial. Smart, and likely to eventually generate a good ROI.
I was surprised about the homegrown complaint; it certainly should get follow up.
- James the Intolerant - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 7:41 pm:
I am all for the financial benefit to tge school but also to find out the benefits and the harm. This is not the pot weed of our (I am 65) youth. This is extremely potent and to this point there needs to be more research.
- filmmaker prof - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 7:49 pm:
One hundred bucks to whoever can explain why DPI exists when we have several research universities that are funded by public money?
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 9:10 pm:
===why DPI exists when we have several research universities that are funded by public money? ===
This probably isn’t worth a hundred bucks, but as one of the Illinois Innovation Network sites it is operated under the umbrella of one of the universities. DPI specifically is organized in such a fashion that it has partnered with quite a few international and private universities.
- Lurker - Thursday, Dec 15, 22 @ 9:34 pm:
One area that JB has failed miserably is the pot roll out and he can lie all he wants that Illinois or the university of Illinois is a leader, but it is simply not true. He needs to expand the legalization and allow the expansion of production to meet want, while minimizing the negative stigmatism. And just to clarify, I’m not a pot fan but if you are going in, don’t do it half arse like Illinois is doing.
- Gruntled University Employee - Friday, Dec 16, 22 @ 7:08 am:
==I am all for the financial benefit to tge school but also to find out the benefits and the harm. This is not the pot weed of our (I am 65) youth. This is extremely potent and to this point there needs to be more research. ==
While it’s true that this generation of weed CAN be more potent than the “street weed” of 45 years ago it doesn’t have to be. When you buy legal weed now the potency is printed on the label, you get to decide how potent a product you want. That and the fact that you know that it’s not laced with anything else should make it a no brainier, if you choose to imbibe.
- truthteller - Friday, Dec 16, 22 @ 7:20 am:
there are countless reasons Big Pharma FIGHTS legal pot….any surprise? I am proud of U of I going this direction.