About the CMCR
CMCR Director Dr. Igor Grant speaks about the priorities and activities of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.
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CMCR studies
Current studies examine the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on a range of psychiatric, developmental and pain conditions, as well as the impact of use on public safety (e.g., driving). A list of current and past studies can be found here.
Exploring the Entourage
The CMCR is hosting a virtual, two-day symposium on October 12-13, 2023 highlighting the state of science in medicinal cannabis research. View this year's agenda and learn how to register here.
Challenges to Conducting Medical Cannabis Research - Dr. Igor Grant - April 2023
The UC Office of the President, in partnership with the Department of Cannabis Control, held a...
Raphael Mechoulam, towering figure in cannabis research has passed
CMCR mourns the passing on March 9, 2023 of Professor Raphael Mechoulam, commonly regarded as...
Dr. Igor Grant presents to California State Senate
On March 13, 2023, Dr. Igor Grant presented to the California State Senate Committee on Business,...
Experts reflect on what new law might mean for cannabis research
Nick Zagorski, Psych News, March 9, 2023. Drs. Igor Grant and Ziva Cooper comment on how the...
CME credits for 2022 CMCR Symposium
The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research is pleased to offer continuing medical education (CME)...
2023 CMCR Grants Program
CMCR Grants Program - 2023 - Request for Applications The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research...
New U.S. law promises to light up marijuana research
Meredith Wadman, Science, December 2, 2022 The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research...
Dr. Thomas Arkell presentation to CMCR investigators
Dr. Thomas Arkell, a research fellow at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia...
Press conference on new Federal cannabis research legislation
On August 31, 2022 CMCR hosted a press conference organized by Representative Scott Peters of...
Congressional bill would free up researchers to study modern cannabis products
Thomas Fudge, KPBS, September 30, 2022 KPBS interviewed Dr. Igor Grant on the potential impacts...
The impact of cannabis on public health
July 21, 2022, Health Professional Radio interviewed Dr. Thomas Marcotte about cannabis and...
CMCR Grants Program awards new research grants in 2022
As part of Proposition 64 funding to the CMCR, the Center is pleased to announce three new studies...
Research: After smoking cannabis, people may have false sense of driving safety
Kristi King, WTOP News, July 7, 2022 WTOP interviewed Dr. Thomas Marcotte about cannabis users'...
Delta-8 THC panel discussion hosted by CMCR's Kyle Boyar
CMCR's Kyle Boyar hosted a panel discussion on Delta-8 THC at a meeting of CANN's Journal Club....
Why doesn't a test to check for marijuana impairment exist?
Tyler Adkisson, Newsy, May 16, 2022 Dr. Thomas Marcotte comments on CMCR's research on cannabis...
CNN features CMCR Autism study
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewed Dr. Doris Trauner, lead researcher of...
2022 Symposium Agenda
Medicinal Cannabis and Cannabinoid-Based Medicine: Progress, Policy, and Partnership PDF of...
2023 Symposium Agenda
Exploring the Entourage: The Therapeutic Potential of Minor Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and...
Cannabis & Driving: NavNeuro podcast interview with Dr. Tom Marcotte - February 2022
Dr. Tom Marcotte discusses acute effects of cannabis use (THC) on driving performance on the...
CMCR Grants Program - 2022
CMCR Grants Program - 2022 - Request for Applications The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research...
CMCR chosen by NFL to study effects of cannabis in sports related injuries in elite athletes
The NFL has awarded CMCR researchers funding to conduct a randomized, double-blind clinical...
Large CMCR study published in JAMA Psychiatry provides insights into performance and safety perception issues regarding cannabis and driving
In the largest study of its kind - 191 regular cannabis users who smoked as they “would at home to...
Cannabis & Driving webinar with Dr. Tom Marcotte - April 2022
Dr. Thomas Marcotte, CMCR Co-Director participated in a panel discussion of recent research...
People high on pot used a driving simulator. Here's what happened
Dennis Thompson, US News & World Report, February 1, 2022 Thomas Marcotte, PhD discusses...
Cannabis & Driving: JAMA Psychiatry podcast - Dr. Tom Marcotte - January 2022
JAMA Psychiatry interviewed Dr. Tom Marcotte and Dr. Rob Fitzgerald on CMCR's randomized trial...
KPBS discusses Delta-8 THC with CMCR's Kyle Boyar
KPBS spoke with CMCR's Kyle Boyar and other experts about Delta-8 THC. Watch the news story below...
CMCR Symposia Series
The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) Symposia Series seeks to provide timely...
CMCR study on autism research featured in LA Times
The Los Angeles (LA) Times reports on the 25th anniversary of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996,...
CMCR Research featured on PBS Nova
CMCR research was featured on PBS NOVA on September 29, 2021. As part of this update to the...
CMCR Grants Program awards new research grants in 2021
As part of Proposition 64 funding to the CMCR, the Center is pleased to announce three new studies...
Dr. Igor Grant presentation at Univ of Cincinnati Grand Rounds - Sept 2021
Dr. Igor Grant presented at University of Cincinnati's Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Grand...
The effect of inhaled cannabis on intraocular pressure in healthy adult subjects
Findings show that cannabis lowers intraocular pressure significantly in adult healthy subjects
UCSD team sets out to study the effects of cannabis component CBD on severe austism in children
Elisabeth Frausto, La Jolla Light, June 25, 2021 Dr. Doris Trauner is leading a CMCR clinical...
Daily cannabis use is associated with lower CNS inflammation in people with HIV
Findings show that daily cannabis use was associated with lower inflammation in the central...
Angela Ann Price Estate gives $100K to CMCR
The estate of Angela Ann Price has given CMCR a $100,000 gift to support medicinal cannabis...
Sha'Carri Richardson Olympic ban: Why is marijuana still prohibited?
David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2021 CMCR investigators Drs. Mark Wallace and Donald...
After 50 years, US opens the door to more cannabis crops for scientists
Will Stone, KPBS, May 30, 2021 The DEA recently announced it will be issuing licenses to several...
UC San Diego study looks at marijuana use against migraines
Jared Aarons, ABC 10 News San Diego, June 3, 2021 A study looking at cannabis as a potential...
New High for Migraine Treatment? Trial Looks at Effectiveness of THC, CBD
Michelle Brubaker, UC San Diego Health Newsroom, May 19, 2021 Dr. Nathaniel Schuster is...Translational studies of cannabis administration, cognition, and the endocannabinoid system in HIV
PI: Arpi Minassian, PhD This study will utilize a cross-species approach to delineate the effects...
Cannabidiol reduces withdrawal symptoms in nicotine-dependent rats
Findings suggest CBD may be used as a strategy to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms upon nicotine...
BCC funds cannabis research projects from UC San Diego investigators
In November 2020, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) announced the recipients for its...
Dr. Igor Grant presentation at Penn State Grand Rounds - January 2021
Dr. Igor Grant presented at Penn State College of Medicine's Psychiatry and Behavioral Health...Efficacy of inhaled cannabis versus placebo for the acute treatment of migraine
PI: Nathaniel Schuster, MD This is a clinical study to determine the effect of THC and CBD on...Engaging the endocannabinoid system with cannabidiol to reduce anxiety reactivity
PI: Charles Taylor, PhD This is a clinical study to determine the effect of CBD on anxiety...
Cannabis for Pain? An Expert's Guidance
John Watson, Medscape, January 5, 2021 Dr. Mark Wallace spoke to Medscape about cannabis...
Report: California needs to better track and test drugged drivers
Brooke Staggs, Orange County Register, March 19, 2021 The California Highway Patrol recently...
Postdoctoral Scholar in Cannabinoid Science
The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) and UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry...
Rep. Scott Peters remarks in support of the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019
Citing the work of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, Representative Scott Peters made...Analgesic, appetite-stimulating, and subjective effects of cannabigerol administered alone and in combination with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
PI: Ziva Cooper, PhD This clinical trial will examine the effects of combining THC and...Effects of CBD on blood pressure and substrate metabolism during metabolic syndrome
PI: Rudy Ortiz, PhD This is a pre-clinical study regarding the effects of CBD on blood pressure...Cannabis, inflammation, and the brain in persons with HIV
PI: Jennifer Iudicello, PhD This study will examine the effects of chronic cannabis use and the...Cannabis effects on antiretroviral therapy pharmacokinetics and neurotoxicity
PI: Scott Letendre, MD This is a clinical study looking at the intersection of cannabis, HIV, and...The role of cannabidiol in anandamide-related improvement in alexithymia and health outcomes
PI: Erin Morgan, PhD This study will examine whether CBD will reduce alexithymia and inflammation...Therapeutic Efficacy of Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Prescription Opioid Abuse and Addiction
PI: Jacques Nguyen, PhD This study will examine the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on the...The Effects of THC on Glucose Metabolism and Endothelial Function in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes
PI: Jeremy Pettus, MD This study will seek to determine the effects of THC use on glucose...Impact of Cannabis Exposure on Gut Barrier Function in Health and Disease
PI: Nicholas DiPatrizio, PhD This study will examine the impact of cannabis exposure on gut...
Cannabis & Neuropsychology: NavNeuro podcast interview with Dr. Igor Grant - August 2020
Dr. Igor Grant discusses cognitive effects of cannabis use and current cannabis research on the...
Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis: Fact vs Fiction - Center for BrainHealth - February 2020
Dr. Igor Grant presented at the University of Texas at Dallas's Center for BrainHealth lecture...
Current Clinical Trial Assessing Potential of CBD in Treatment of Autism
Scott LaFee, UC San Diego Health Newsroom, July 14, 2020 Researchers at UC San Diego's Center for...
A cost-effectiveness model for adjunctive smoked cannabis in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain
Study results show that cannabis appears cost-effective when augmenting second-line treatment for...
Regulatory barriers to research on cannabis and cannabinoids: a proposed path forward
An interdisciplinary group of medical scientists, plant geneticists, lawyers, and policy experts...
The use of cannabis for headache disorders
This review considers historical prescription practices, summarizes the existing reports on the...
CMCR congratulations Dr. Donald Abrams on his retirement - June 2020
CMCR Director Igor Grant congratulates Donald Abrams, MD, of UCSF on his retirement, and...
Congratulations to Dr. Marsida Kallupi
Congratulations to Dr. Marsida Kallupi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC...
About the CMCR
CMCR Director Dr. Igor Grant speaks about the priorities and activities of the Center for...
Testing drivers for cannabis is hard. Here's why.
Alicia Wallace, CNN Business, January 2, 2020 As a growing number of states legalize cannabis,...
For people with HIV, cannabis use linked to lower rates of cognitive impairment
Emily Land, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, February 24, 2020 In a recently published paper,...
Cannabis May Have a Beneficial Effect on HIV-Associated Blood-Brain Barrier Injury
Marilynn Larkin, Reuters Health, April 30, 2020 In a recently published paper, Ron Ellis and...
Validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for analyzing cannabinoids in oral fluid.
A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for quantifying ten...
Cannabis exposure is associated with a lower likelihood of neurocognitive impairment in people living with HIV
Findings suggest cannabis exposure is linked to a lower odds of neurocognitive impairment in the...
Beneficial effects of cannabis on blood brain barrier function in HIV
Study results show that cannabis may have a beneficial impact on HIV-associated blood brain...
Smoking weed: When is someone too high to drive?
January 3, 2019 David McNew explored the complexities in assessing cannabis associated impairment...
California Still Struggling To Police Stoned Drivers
Shalina Chatlani, KPBS, December 20, 2019 Marijuana is hard to police. A small amount may...
Marijuana researchers shackled by federal laws and regulations
Ashleigh Papp, San Jose Mercury News, January 2, 2020 Scientists must obtain hard-to-get license...
Republicans and Democrats agree: VA must study medical marijuana for veterans
June 20, 2019 Abbie Bennett, in an article written for Radio.com illustrated the political...
CMCR announces $3M in new research grants to California investigators
The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) at UC San Diego has been a leader in medical...