UCLA receives $7.3 million for wide-ranging cannabis research

State grant will fund studies on synthetic cannabis, cardiovascular effects, flavor regulations and the unregulated cannabis market

2026-01-08

(Press-News.org) UCLA has received four grants totaling $7.3 million from the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to support research on a broad range of topics, from the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids to the cardiovascular risks of cannabis use and strategies for addressing California's unregulated cannabis market.

The funding will support research by faculty from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the UCLA College of Letters and Science and the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

“This achievement reflects UCLA’s leadership in advancing cannabis science through innovative research. From the laboratory to real-world market dynamics, our faculty are generating findings that will shape evidence-based regulation that prioritizes public health,” said Ziva Cooper, director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids and professor at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

The two-year grants awarded to UCLA researchers, who are members of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, represent a quarter of the $30 million that the DCC recently provided to nine academic institutions to further scientific understanding of cannabis and inform efforts to shape public policy related to the evolving legal cannabis market.

The UCLA studies funded by these awards include:

Synthetic Cannabinoid Research: A study to create and evaluate new and rare cannabinoids in the laboratory to understand their potency, potential therapeutic benefits and possible side effects. This research will provide fundamental insights that could lead to the discovery of safer, more effective cannabinoid therapeutics for societal benefit ($2 million). Principal investigators: Neil Garg and Ken Houk, UCLA department of chemistry and biochemistry; and Yi Tang, UCLA department of chemistry and biochemistry and UCLA department of chemical engineering. Unregulated Cannabis Market Study: Research into California's persistent illegal cannabis market nearly a decade after state legalization. Using innovative methods including drug testing technology, field observations and surveys, investigators will examine why consumers continue to purchase cannabis from unregulated sources and test products for contaminants. The findings will help inform strategies to reduce public health risks associated with the unregulated market ($2 million). Principal investigator: Chelsea Shover, UCLA departments of medicine and health policy management, in collaboration with Rosalie Pacula, University of Southern California. Cardiovascular Effects of Cannabis: A controlled clinical study will identify the immediate and long-term heart health effects of smoked and oral cannabis. Results will inform public health strategies, clinical care and consumer education ($2.1 million). Principal investigators: Holly Middlekauff, UCLA departments of medicine and physiology; and Ziva Cooper, UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, in collaboration with Theodore Kelesidis, University of Texas Southwestern and Daniele Piomelli, UC-Irvine. Cannabis Terpenes and Flavor Regulation: Researchers will develop a validated reference of flavor compounds (terpenes) found in the cannabis plant to establish scientific standards and evidence-based policies to regulate these compounds in commercially sold cannabis products. This research will inform policies that protect public health and reduce the risk of child-attractive product marketing ($1.2 million). Principal investigator: Ziva Cooper, UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, in collaboration with UC-Davis and S3 Collective. The studies are expected to begin in early 2026.

For more information on the 2025 grant awardees and studies, visit the Department of Cannabis Control website.

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UCLA receives $7.3 million for wide-ranging cannabis research

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