[Randomguy34]

U of I plans marijuana research center at Discovery Partners Institute

Discovery Partners Institute, the University of Illinois research center underway in the South Loop, has high hopes to launch a marijuana research facility.

DPI has begun a search for an executive director and researchers, and it has support from the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. But it doesn't yet have funding commitments from either one for a project that likely will need tens of millions to become a reality.

The cannabis research institute is the first significant effort by the city and state to build on Chicago's critical mass in the marijuana industry. The city is home to several of the largest U.S. marijuana companies—including Cresco Labs, Green Thumb Industries, Verano and PharmaCann—which employ thousands of workers. Since legalizing recreational marijuana three years ago, sales have grown to about $1.5 billion.

The University of Illinois sees opportunities to draw on its strengths in agriculture, genomics and medicine to study topics ranging from marijuana production to the health impacts of cannabis.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/cann...-institute-dpi