News

UC Davis Professor of Emergency Medicine John R. Richards and his team recently published a paper that analyzes pertinent medical literature on the association between cannabis use and cardiac dysrhythmia. Cannabis use results in elevation of heart rate and blood pressure immediately after use, primarily due to sympathetic nervous system stimulation and parasympathetic nervous system inhibition. These effects may precipitate cardiac dysrhythmia.

The Cannabis Scientist, a cannabis industry publication, has announced the release of its inaugural Power List, which recognizes twenty of the most influential scientists in two key areas – cannabis analysis and cannabis R&D. UC Davis Professor of Chemistry Don Land tops the cannabis analysis list. 

Seed Central, an initiative of the Seed Biotechnology Center at UC Davis and Seedquest, holds monthly networking events titled "The Forum," and the November 12, 2020 Forum will be on the subject of cannabis and hemp. 

This event will take place at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center on the UC Davis campus at 4:00 PM with a panel discussion until 6:00 PM that (so far) includes the following panelists:

In uneasy news for medical marijuana users, UC Davis researchers have identified potentially lethal bacteria and mold on samples from 20 Northern California pot growers and dispensaries, leading the doctors to warn patients with weakened immune systems to avoid smoking, vaping or inhaling aerosolized cannabis.

By Amy Quinton on August 13, 2019 in Food & Agriculture

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have partnered with a federally compliant pharmaceutical company to analyze the chemical and biological profiles of cannabis for the benefit of law enforcement, health care providers and scientific professionals.  

A synthetic, non-intoxicating analogue of cannabidiol (CBD) is effective in treating seizures in rats, according to research by chemists at the University of California, Davis. The synthetic CBD alternative is easier to purify than a plant extract, eliminates the need to use agricultural land for hemp cultivation, and could avoid legal complications with cannabis-related products. The work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

In California’s Central Valley, a new Oakdale company — in partnership with the University of California, Davis — wants to help make it the hemp capital of the country.

The California Hemp Corporation, formed by Jeff McPhee and Kent Kushar last year, has entered into a sponsored research agreement with UC Davis to study how the plant grows in the valley. Hemp is a species of cannabis plant — but lacks enough THC to produce pot’s high.

Wildlife species are being exposed to high levels of rat poison in northwest California, with illegal marijuana farms the most likely source point, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis, with the California Academy of Sciences.

A study assessing the impact of medical marijuana laws (MML) on adolescent substance use  has found decreased use of all substances among 8th graders, no change among 10th graders and increased non-medical use of prescription opioids and cigarette use among 12th graders, following MML enactment.

By Brad Hooker and Julia Ann Easley in Society, Arts & Culture

California’s legal cannabis market, opening for business on Jan. 1, is expected to quickly grow to be the largest in the nation and worth more than $5 billion a year.

UC Davis physician researchers have found that medical marijuana contains multiple bacterial and fungal pathogens that may cause serious and even fatal infections. They warn that smoking, vaping or inhaling aerosolized marijuana could pose a grave risk to patients, especially those with leukemia, lymphoma, AIDS or conditions requiring immune-suppressing therapies.

Genetic footprint of infectious organisms commonly found in the environment pose health risk for highly immunocompromised patients. © Wendy McCormick

If Colorado’s experience is any indication, energy use is expected to spike with the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in California, much as it did when data centers sprang up throughout the state.

For example, just two years after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, grow houses consumed about 2 percent of the power supply in Denver alone.

A research study that followed children from birth up to age 38 has found that people who smoked cannabis four or more days of the week over many years ended up in a lower social class than their parents, with lower-paying, less skilled and less prestigious jobs than those who were not regular cannabis smokers. These regular and persistent users also experienced more financial, work-related and relationship difficulties, which worsened as the number of years of regular cannabis use progressed.