Marijuana & Hemp Research
CU Boulder supports research with Marijuana and Hemp by helping researchers navigate the particularly complex regulations that govern the use of these substances for research.
CU Boulder Guidance Regarding Research Involving Marijuana and Hemp
Hemp Research
While Hemp is no longer classified as a Controlled Substance by the federal government, research with Hemp and Hemp-derived products is still highly regulated.
Hemp is defined as the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis (2018 Farm Bill).
Hemp cultivation on campus is regulated by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The University has registered spaces throughout the campus for Hemp cultivation research.
If you are interested in working with Hemp Cultivation, contact Tom Heddleston (thomas.heddleston@colorado.edu, 303-492-0770) to learn about the specific requirements to get started.
CU Boulder supports research with Hemp or Hemp-derived products with proper IRB or IACUC approval.
The requirements for conducting this type of research changed after the passage of the USDA Farm Bill in 2018 and its 2021 Final Rule. If researchers can show that cannabidiol and other non-THC cannabinoids are derived from Hemp (as defined above), they are not required to go through the DEA registration process.
Marijuana Research
There are currently two ways to conduct approved Marijuana research at CU Boulder: Human Observational Marijuana Research and Marijuana Research under a DEA Schedule I License.
This is a type of correlational research in which researchers observe ongoing behavior without prescribing or randomizing participants to specific interventions.
- Research subjects may use Marijuana, but the researcher cannot procure the Marijuana, and the Marijuana cannot be used on the CU Boulder campus.
- To comply with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, Human Observational Marijuana Studies may not recruit CU students or employees as subjects.
- Contact CU Boulder's Institutional Review Board (IRB) for support.
Researchers looking to do other Marijuana research need to apply for a Schedule I license through the DEA using Form 225. The application process takes a few months and will likely include an on-site inspection of the registered area.
- As part of the application, each of the studies/projects covered by the application must be listed separately.
- Researchers with a Schedule I License can only utilize Marijuana products obtained from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) approved sources.
- If you are seeking to conduct animal research, you must have prior IACUC approval and provide the protocol(s).
- If you are seeking to conduct human research, you must have prior IRB approval, an approved active Notice of Claimed Investigational Exemption for an IND and provide the protocol(s).
- For all other types of research, provide descriptions of each study and any grant support for the work.
- Management of DEA Controlled Schedule I Substances used in Human Subject Research
- Thomas Heddleston, Regulatory Compliance Associate: Thomas.heddleston@colorado.edu (303-492-0770)
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