The bud business has gotten a boost with the announcement that two major American universities have received nearly $20 million USD (26.3 million CAD) in donations for scientific research on the benefits of cannabis.
The University of Miami’s Project to Cure Paralysis and Miller School of Medicine received a $16 million grant from Scythian Bioscience to research whether a CBD-based pill can help reduce brain cell inflammation that occurs after injuries such as concussions, the Miami Herald reported.
Scythian BioSciences is a private research and development company based in Calgary that focuses on the prevention and treatment of concussions and traumatic brain injury.
The Miami researchers are required to get a special federal license to perform the CBD research. They also must follow strict Drug Enforcement Administration regulations about who can access the cannabis, which will need to be double-locked in a container inside a locked room, the Miami Herald reported.
Meanwhile, Australian philanthropist Barry Lambert donated $3 million this week to a recently launched medical marijuana research institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. The newly named Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp will research the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids, according to Philly.com.