The University of Kentucky Cannabis Research Center announces inaugural grants

A newly established center for cannabis research at the University of Kentucky announced its first grantees on Wednesday.

The University of Kentucky Cannabis Center announced that its “first faculty pilot grants to support innovative and collaborative cannabis research” were awarded to four researchers at the University’s College of Nursing, College of Public Health, College of Pharmacy and the Martin School for Public Policy and administration.

Grants range from $75,000 to $100,000 and are intended to support research for 14 months.

“We are excited about this opportunity to expand and accelerate cannabis science in the UK and conduct studies focused on the public health effects of cannabis that can directly impact the lives of Kentuckians,” said Shanna Babalonis, the director of the UK Cannabis Centre. “We have talented and dedicated researchers from different disciplines here on campus who can make meaningful scientific contributions to the center from different perspectives.”

The Cannabis Center was created in September thanks to legislation passed by the Kentucky legislature and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear last year. In the announcement at the time, Bablonis said that “legislators have an interest in us studying the conditions for which medical cannabis might be useful, as well as the most effective dosage and route of administration for each condition.”

Legislators approved $2 million for the center through June 2024, according to a university press release Wednesday.

“The main objective of the research being conducted at the UK Cannabis Center is to provide valuable insights into the risks and benefits associated with cannabis and cannabinoids to the medical community, legislators and the public. This knowledge will be especially important as Kentucky continues to implement new medical marijuana legislation. The center’s research focuses on various aspects, including the health effects of cannabis and its potential to treat specific medical conditions,” the press release reads.

The four grantees the university announced Wednesday are Kristin Ashford, associate dean for undergraduate program and policy, Good Samaritan Endowed Chair for Community Nursing, and director of the Perinatal Research and Wellness Center, who will “investigate cannabis use during pregnancy.” . ; Jay Christian, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, who “will study cannabis use among cancer patients and survivors in Kentucky”; Jayani Jayawardhana, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy, who will study the impact of “cannabis laws on opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions and associated health outcomes in older adults”; and Caroline Weber, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Martin School, who will “investigate changes in cannabis use through the traffic fatality record.”

Ashford’s study of cannabis use during pregnancy will “examine perceptions of the safety and acceptability of cannabis use among currently pregnant women, as well as current use patterns and trends over the past five years in central Kentucky among pregnant individuals,” according to Wednesday’s press. release.

“We want to know what pregnant women think, feel and do when it comes to cannabis use to give our legislators, healthcare providers and expectant mothers a better understanding of how to improve the health of women and children in Kentucky .” Ashford said.

Christian’s study of cannabis use in cancer patients is being conducted as part of a survey that will help him “to better understand the prevalence of cannabis use, what methods patients use (smoking, vaping, eating) and how they get it.”

“Cannabis laws across the country, including in Kentucky, are changing rapidly. To determine the effects of legal medicinal cannabis, it is important to know how people used it before and after the law changes,” said Christian. “This study is a first step in helping us evaluate the impact of Kentucky’s new medical cannabis law on cancer patients and survivors.”