CMCR Grants Program

The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) seeks to fund primary and pilot cannabis-related studies that further enhance the understanding of the efficacy and adverse effects of cannabis and cannabinoids as pharmacological agents for the treatment of medical and psychiatric disorders, and their potential public health impacts. Primary project awards are up to $825,000 in total costs ($275,000 per year) for up to three years. Pilot awards are up to $300,000 for two years ($150,000 per year). 

CMCR Grants Program Studies Funded to Date.

Year Study title Principal Investigator
 Full funding amount
2024
 Evaluating the impact of perioperative cannabidiol exposure in a preclinical model of orthopaedic implant infections

Nicholas Bernthal, MD (UCLA)

$300,000
2024 Myrcene modulates on CB1 receptor function via enhancement of endocannabinoids

Catherine Cahill, PhD (UCLA)

$300,000
2024 Sex differences in cannabidiol's effects on blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive conditions

Zhi-Ling Guo, MD, PhD (UC Irvine)

$300,000
2024 Cannabidiol use during pregnancy: Safety and risk for the developing fetus

Jennifer Thomas, PhD (San Diego State University)

$300,000
2023 Evaluating the efficacy of cannabidiol for reducing cigarette use

Edythe London, PhD (UCLA)

$825,000
2023 Contribution of genetic factors to individual differences in anxiety in response to the cannabinoids THC and CBD

Jamie Inman, PhD (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

 $300,000
2023 The effects and brain mechanisms supporting cannabis-induced chronic low back pain relief

Fadel Zeidan, PhD (UC San Diego)

 $300,000
2022 An open-label clinical trial of a hemp-derived, ultra-high cannabidiol product for anxiety and pain in patients with glioblastoma

Nicholas Butowkski, MD (UC San Francisco) & Staci Gruber, PhD, co-PI

 $300,000
2022 Terpenes as novel analgesics - preclinical study

Catherine Cahill, PhD (UCLA)

 $300,000
2022 Antinociceptive effects of phytocannabinoids in a mouse model of sickle cell disease (SCD)s

Daniele Piomelli, PhD (UC Irvine)

 $400,000
2021 The effects of THC on glucose metabolism and endothelial function in subjects with type 2 diabetes

Jeremy Pettus, MD (UC San Diego)

 $825,000
2021 Impact of cannabis expose on gut barrier function in health and disease Nicholas DiPatrizio, PhD (UC Riverside)
 $300,000
2021 Therapeutic efficacy of cannabis and cannabinoids in prescription opioid abuse and addiction Michael Taffe, PhD (UC San Diego)
  $300,000
2020 Analgesic, appetite-stimulating, and subjective effects of cannabigerol administered alone and in combination with delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol Ziva Cooper, PhD (UCLA) $825,000
2020 Effects of CBD on blood pressure and substrate metabolism during metabolic syndrome Rudy M. Ortiz, PhD (UC Merced) $300,000
2019 Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) versus placebo as an adjunct to treatment in early psychosis: Understanding the mechanism and mediators of action Kristin Cadenhead, MD (UC San Diego) $825,000
2019 Therapeutic response of cannabidiol in rheumatoid arthritis Veena Ranganath, MD (UCLA) $825,000
2019 Cannabidiol for sedative/hypnotic-sparing management of insomnia in adults Mariana Cherner, PhD (UC San Diego) $825,000
2019 Cannabidiol as a strategy to treat alcohol dependence Giordano de Guglielmo, PharmD, PhD (UC San Diego) $300,000
2019 The role of cannabidiol (CBD) in regulating meal time anxiety in anorexia nervosa: Safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics

Guido Frank, MD (UC San Diego)

$300,000