The state of Colorado has approved the funding of a half dozen research grants into marijuana. All the studies aim to address questions about public health and safety revolving around legalization of cannabis in the state.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment announced the grants at the end of 2016. A total of $2.3 million will go to seven projects. The state already has approved $9 million in research over the past few years.
Both medical and recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado. Because marijuana was illegal for so long — and remains so at the federal level — the intent of the research is to “fill the gaps” in knowledge about marijuana, according to a statement from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.
“This research will be invaluable in Colorado and across the country,” Dr. Larry Wolk, executive director and chief medical officer for the department, said in the statement. “The findings will inform…