The Interim Joint Committee on Health, Welfare, and Family Services received an update Wednesday about the Kentucky Center for Cannabis Research at the University of Kentucky.
The Research Center came out of House Bill 604, a bill sponsored by Northern Kentucky Rep. Kim Moser (R-Taylor Mill), who also co-chairs the interim committee.
Shanna Babalonis, the director of the Research Center, reported to the committee that the center received a $2 million appropriation. The center has two years to spend the money on various projects.
Some of the projects include examining the various ways cannabis can be used for medicinal purposes. The center plans to test how vaporized cannabis can be used as a treatment for opioid use disorder, researching edible cannabis doses for cancer patients and examining cannabis involvement in opioid overdose deaths, injuries, and driving fatalities.
One of the things they plan to research is the link between cannabis and cancer. They are planning a cancer trial with the Markey Cancer Center to understand how edible cannabis doses work for patients with cancer.
“You would think that cancer and cannabis have been really well researched,” Babalonis said. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”
The center also plans to study cannabidiol (also known as CBD) products, pilot a growing project with other UK personnel, study how inhaled cannabis affects driving compared to alcohol, and examine medical cannabis’ impact on prescription opioid use.
Babalonis highlighted that UK is one of the few universities in the country with a cannabis research center, including California.
“I’d say there’s only a handful of other places that are able to do this,” Babalonis said. “But I would like to highlight that Kentucky, UK, is one of the only places in the world that can do an inpatient trial, placebo-controlled cannabis trial on an inpatient basis, meaning that we admit people to the hospital and have them live there and can control their drug intake.”
Further, UK President Dr. Eli Capilouto has been appointed Director of the 12-member advisory board, which includes an executive committee. Babalonis will work with the committee to set goals, agendas and make financial decisions. The advisory board will help provide feedback to guide the center’s progress and direction.
In June, Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order to form a 17-member medical cannabis committee to solicit feedback from citizens across the state after the legislature again failed to pass any recreational or medical cannabis reform.
The committee has been holding town-hall-style meetings in all parts of the state. Beshear selected members with relevant experience regarding drug use, including opioid use disorder and addiction. He also chose those who advocate for medical marijuana, law enforcement, and criminal justice professionals.
Beshear’s administration released data showing that 90 percent of Kentuckians favor legalizing medical cannabis. Kerry Harvey, the co-chair of the committee and secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, said the group didn’t hear any negative feedback.
“Everyone who spoke supported legalizing medical cannabis in Kentucky,” Harvey said.