Cannabis conference looks to broaden research of the plant

Researcher looking to better understand cannabis were all across CSU Pueblo’s campus over the weekend for the third annual Cannabis Research Conference. The event is hosted by the university’s Institute of Cannabis Research.

The theme of the conference is “advancing cannabis knowledge.”

Those in attendance heard from dozens of speakers on a number of ranging topics from hemp-based products to the effects of cannabis edibles. Researchers at the conference say it is important to broaden the scope of their research.

“People don’t understand the broad nature of the research that is going on and usually they are quite impressed,” said Chad Kinney, the director of the Institute of Cannabis Research at CSU Pueblo. “There is engineering research, medical research, psychology research, chemistry research, and of course biology research.”

For instance, many researchers are excited about looking closer at the effects of hemp-based products. In 2018, President Donald Trump signed the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 or ‘Farm Bill 2018’, which legalized the sale of many hemp products.

One speaker at Monday’s cannabis conference was Black Hills Energy representative Devin Moeller. He was there to talk to potential growers and dispensary owners who are looking to open a business of their own.

“In working with the growers in our space, we’ve learned to minimize their per unit cost of production and collaborating with them,” said Moeller. “Planning out and really making things collaborative on both sides is the big thing.”

The ICR says a full report of the previous year’s findings will be released sometime next month.