Colorado State University is having its cannabis research coffers boosted thanks to the generosity of an alumna.
Leslie Buttorff graduated from CSU in 1979 with a B.S. in Statistics and then went on to achieve her Master’s in Finance and Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University. Today she is the CEO of a Colorado based developer and manufacturer of hemp based health products for humans and companion animals – the very optimistically named Panacea Life Sciences.
Ms. Buttorff is making a $1.5 million gift to Colorado State University that will see the creation of a partnership between her company and CSU’s College of Natural Sciences.
The gift provides funding for research, equipment and operating expenses for a cannabinoid research center that will delve into issues such as separation efficiencies, cannabinoid formulations, testing and analysis standards.
Cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) tend to steal the research limelight – but there are plenty of other types of cannabinoids. The CSU researchers will be looking into compounds including cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromine (CBC) and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV).
“Partnering with Panacea will propel us to the forefront of cannabinoid research and provide unprecedented opportunities for CSU faculty and students,” said Jan Nerger, dean of the College of Natural Sciences.
Significant cannabis research has already been carried out by CSU via the Institute of Cannabis Research Colorado State University – Pueblo, which was established in June 2016. The ICR was the USA’s first multi-disciplinary cannabis research center at a regional, comprehensive institution. Its research outcomes can be viewed here.
The University also operates a Hemp Resource Center, a clearinghouse for hemp research, news, and other resources.
In somewhat related news, the Colorado Department of Agriculture Industrial Hemp Program is to continue to operate under provisions contained in the 2014 Farm Bill, until the USDA approved state plan is adopted on November 1, 2020. At the time of publishing, the USDA web site indicated Colorado was still drafting a Plan for USDA review.
Changes to legislation concerning Colorado’s industrial hemp regulatory program to align with the 2018 Farm Bill and enable the Department to prepare and submit a state plan to the secretary of the USDA were signed into law in May last year.
According to VoteHemp, 21,578 acres of hemp were grown in Colorado in 2019.
