Marijuana and Hemp Research
Hemp Research
The 2018 Farm Bill defines Hemp as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.” (7 U.S.C. § 1639o(1)). While Hemp is no longer classified as a Controlled Substance by the federal government, research with Hemp and Hemp-derived products is still highly regulated.
Hemp cultivation on campus is regulated by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The University has registered a number of spaces throughout the campus for Hemp cultivation reserach. If you are interested in working with Hemp cultivation, please contact Tom Heddleston (303-492-0770) to learn about the specific requirements and to get started.
The University also supports research with Hemp or Hemp-derived products. The process for conducting this type of research has recently been streamlined. For additional information please or with questions, please contact Tom Heddleston (303-492-0770).
Regulations concerning research involving Hemp and Hemp-derived products are particularly complex. Please see the CU Boulder Hemp and Marijuana Guidance document and contact Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Integrity Jon Reuter (303-735-5809) or Regulatory Compliance Associate Tom Heddleston (303-492-0770) with questions.
Marijuana Research
There are currently only two ways to conduct approved Marijuana research at CU Boulder: Human Observational Marijuana Research and Marijuana Research under a DEA Schedule 1 License.
Human Observational Marijuana Research
- This is a type of correlational research in which researchers observe ongoing behavior without prescribing or randomizing participants to specific interventions.
- Research subjects may use Marijuana, but the researcher can not procure the Marijuana and the Marijuana can not be used on the University campus.
- To comply with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, Human Observational Marijuana Studies may not recruit CU students or employees as subjects.
Marijuana Research under a DEA Schedule 1 License
- Researchers looking to do other Marijuana research would need to apply for a Schedule 1 license through the DEA using . The application process takes a few months and will likely include an on-site inspection of the registered area.
- As part of the application, each of the studies/projects covered by the application must be listed separately. If you are looking to conduct animal research, you must have prior IACUC approval and provide the protocol(s). If you are looking to conduct human research, you must have prior IRB approval, an approved active Notice of Claimed Investigational Expemtion for an IND and provide the protocol(s). For all other types of research you must provide the protocol(s). The complete DEA Pre-Application Checklist can be found .
- Researchers with a Schedule 1 License can only utilize Marijuana products obtained from National Institue on Drug Abuse (NIDA) approved sources.
Regulations concerning research involving marijuana are particularly complex. Please see the CU Boulder Hemp and Marijuana Guidance document and contact Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Integrity Jon Reuter (303-735-5809) or Regulatory Compliance Associate Tom Heddleston (303-492-0770) with questions.
