Dear Colleagues,
The Bureau of Cannabis Control is accepting proposals from public universities in California for research projects related to the implementation and effect of Proposition 64, the voter initiative passed in November 2016, which legalized the non-medicinal adult-use of cannabis. All proposals must propose research that addresses at least one of the following areas: public health, criminal justice and public safety, economic, environmental impacts, and the cannabis industry.
Public Health Research. Research in this area should focus on the impacts of the cannabis industry on public health. This may include:
• Health costs associated with cannabis use;
• Cannabis use rates, such as cannabis use association with an increase or decrease in alcohol or drug use;
• Rates of diagnosis for cannabis related substance disorders and effectiveness of treatment programs;
• The effects of cannabis potency levels on health; and
• Impacts of marketing, advertising and packaging on cannabis use by youth.
Criminal Justice and Public Safety Research. Research in this area should focus on the impacts of the cannabis industry on criminal justice and public safety. This may include:
• Impacts on law enforcement;
• Impacts on public resources;
• Cannabis use by youth;
• Outcomes achieved by changes in criminal penalties with cannabis legalization; and
• Impacts on outcomes in the juvenile justice system, including up-charging for cannabis related offenses and probation-based treatments.
Economic Impacts Research. Research in this area should focus on the impacts of the cannabis industry on the economy. This may include:
• Impacts on private and public sectors;
• Government administrative costs and revenue;
• Tax structures and rates;
• Cannabis prices in the licensed and unlicensed markets;
• Monopolies and anti-competitive behavior and prevention thereof;
• Job creation; and
• Workplace safety.
Environmental Impacts Research. Research in this area should focus on the impacts of the cannabis industry on the environment. This may include:
• Environmental impacts related to cannabis production and the criminal prohibition of cannabis production.
Cannabis Industry Research. Research in this area should focus on more generalized impacts of the cannabis industry. This may include:
• Location, structure, and function of licensed cannabis business;
• Whether regulation of the cannabis industry is consistent with Proposition 64 and effectiveness of regulatory methods; and
• Demographic date, including race, ethnicity, and gender.
UC ANR researchers are permitted to study the policy, social, economic and environmental impacts of marijuana. However, UC ANR does not conduct any research on marijuana that requires entering the fields or other areas near the marijuana plants (whether growing or harvested or processed).
Research projects should plan to use the grant funds within two years from the date of disbursement. Awards for any specific research proposal will not exceed two million dollars.
Applications are due by October 19th. For additional information about this funding opportunity, please review the Bureau's website at https://bcc.ca.gov/about_us/documents/rfp/rfp_request_for_proposals.pdf
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)