Yale University to Establish a Center For Cannabis Research

The Yale School of Medicine will establish a new research center to study cannabis, the university has announced.

According to a press notice on the announcement, the Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids will foster studies into the acute and chronic effects of cannabinoids on neuronal and mental health.

Currently, there is no information on when the center will open, but when it does, it will be led by Deepak Cyril D’Souza, a professor of psychiatry and “a leading expert” on the pharmacology of cannabinoids.

Initial funding will be provided by the Department of Psychiatry, with support from the dean’s office. Funding will support pilot studies toward the development of a grant application focused on cannabis, cannabinoids, neurodevelopment, and mental health.

The news of the center comes on the heels of the first recreational cannabis sales in Connecticut (the home state of Yale University). The legal market opened on January 10 this year. On that launch day alone, the state’s seven licensed retailers made $359,099 in sales, according to the state’s internal tracking system.