CSU-Pueblo wants money for marijuana research institute
Colorado State University-Pueblo is trying to make history.
The university wants to be one of the only state schools in the U.S. to research marijuana.
The school said it wants to do this to give people more educational information about the substance.
“We thought it would be wise to put together an institute to do research and students on medical cannabis,” CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare said.
She said several professors have shown interest in the proposed Institute for Cannabis Research. Di Mare said different departments could be involved in the program, such as business, biology, psychology and engineering.
“The more interdisciplinary you have, the more perspective you have on it, the better you understand the subject,” Di Mare said.
The president said another goal for the institute is to publish journals and host national conferences on marijuana.
Freshman Sarah Grinstaff said she’s excited that the university could be studying marijuana.
“I can learn a lot more about it more than I already know and I could teach other people when I move to other states,” she said.
For now, the university doesn’t have any plans to have classes for students on marijuana.
Di Mare said even though the university wants to study marijuana, it doesn’t have a stance on it.
The university is set to receive more than $200,000 from Pueblo County for the institute because of the voter approved excise tax on marijuana grows. The university is also hoping for money from the state marijuana tax revenue to help fund the program.
Four state lawmakers who represent Pueblo said they would support funding the marijuana institute with state marijuana money. State Sen. Leroy Garcia said he is cautiously optimistic about the proposed institute because he wants to do more research into the university’s plans.
