{"id":271,"date":"2023-09-19T16:47:22","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T16:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/?p=271"},"modified":"2023-09-27T01:02:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T01:02:43","slug":"cannabis-gateway-to-the-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/2023\/09\/19\/cannabis-gateway-to-the-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis: Gateway to the Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Estelle Jarrett
\nUConn Journalism 
\nNovem\u00adber 9, 2022
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Mans\u00adfield \u2013<\/b> The Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut has been at the fore\u00adfront of cannabis research and edu\u00adca\u00adtion in recent years and has the poten\u00adtial to be a nation\u00adal leader in this schol\u00adar\u00adship area accord\u00ading to UConn pro\u00adfes\u00adsor Dr. Ger\u00adald Berkowitz.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Inside the classroom of the Fundamentals of Cannabis Horticulture. \/ Photo by Estelle Jarrett<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-292 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-300x225.jpg\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/09\/P4051800-1280x960.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">
Inside the class\u00adroom of the Fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtals of Cannabis Hor\u00adti\u00adcul\u00adture. \/ Pho\u00adto by Estelle Jarrett<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So many cannabis com\u00adpa\u00adnies, coun\u00adcils, and uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty edu\u00adca\u00adtion pro\u00adgrams have been formed in New Eng\u00adland with\u00adin the last year, accord\u00ading to the Depart\u00adment of Cannabis Con\u00adtrol, and UConn has a fin\u00adger in every pie. There have been many changes in laws reg\u00adu\u00adlat\u00ading cannabis pro\u00adduc\u00adtion, use, and research that could bode well for stu\u00addents look\u00ading to enter a field where jobs are read\u00adi\u00adly available. <\/span><\/p>\n

Berkowitz is an Agri\u00adcul\u00adture Biotech\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy pro\u00adfes\u00adsor and mol\u00ade\u00adc\u00adu\u00adlar geneti\u00adcist who has been nav\u00adi\u00adgat\u00ading the legal\u00adi\u00adty of cannabis in the Unit\u00aded States for years. In the last five years, he has been graced with new bills and cul\u00adtur\u00adal atti\u00adtudes chang\u00ading towards the plant.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the past year, UConn fos\u00adtered a cannabis research forum called RiCH- a group of sci\u00aden\u00adtists meet\u00ading to dis\u00adcuss cannabis research. Berkowitz and UCon\u00adn\u2019s chem\u00adistry depart\u00adment col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adrat\u00aded to write a grant pro\u00adpos\u00adal to the USDA. This new grant would design and fund spe\u00adcial plas\u00adtic for cannabis green\u00adhous\u00ades to opti\u00admize a par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar spec\u00adtrum of light to increase THC pro\u00adduc\u00adtion by 20\u201325%. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat came about because a uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty is a place where plant biol\u00ado\u00adgists, chemists, and physi\u00adcists are all here in one place, so hav\u00ading a cannabis forum pro\u00advides a con\u00adtext for all sorts of dis\u00adcov\u00ader\u00adies,\u201d Berkowitz explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

Berkowitz also men\u00adtioned the New Eng\u00adland Cannabis Research and Edu\u00adca\u00adtion Con\u00adfer\u00adence that will take place on Octo\u00adber 21. The con\u00adfer\u00adence will bring in inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal researchers as well as help stu\u00addents inter\u00adact with com\u00adpa\u00adnies. UConn will be heav\u00adi\u00adly involved, and the pub\u00adlic or stu\u00addents can attend for free.<\/span><\/p>\n

All this being said, UConn still does not allow mar\u00adi\u00adjua\u00adna research in lab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adto\u00adries. Mar\u00adi\u00adjua\u00adna is still con\u00adsid\u00adered a Sched\u00adule I sub\u00adstance under the Con\u00adtrolled Sub\u00adstances Act, along with drugs such as hero\u00adin. There are con\u00adcerns about the gov\u00adern\u00adment tak\u00ading fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading away if any\u00adone with\u00adout a Sched\u00adule I license stud\u00adies plant mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal with a THC lev\u00adel high\u00ader than 0.3. <\/span><\/p>\n

Since \u201cHor\u00adti\u00adcul\u00adture of Cannabis: From Seed to Har\u00advest \u201d, UConn\u2019s one-of-a-kind class that pro\u00advid\u00aded essen\u00adtial train\u00ading and hands-on lab work in the indus\u00adtry, the uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty has made pub\u00adlic state\u00adments and done activ\u00adi\u00adties to sup\u00adport cannabis research. In fact, new Pres\u00adi\u00addent Raden\u00adka Mar\u00adic of UConn was vice pres\u00adi\u00addent for research, inno\u00adva\u00adtion, and entre\u00adpre\u00adneur\u00adship and very vig\u00ador\u00adous\u00adly pro\u00admot\u00aded cannabis schol\u00adar\u00adship at the uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, Berkowitz explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel very for\u00adtu\u00adnate to be at this uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty because upper-lev\u00adel admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtors have been lis\u00adten\u00ading to me and fig\u00adur\u00ading out ways to pro\u00admote schol\u00adar\u00adship in this area,\u201d Berkowitz said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the first bud\u00adding of cannabis edu\u00adca\u00adtion dur\u00ading that hor\u00adti\u00adcul\u00adture class, there has since been a nation\u00adal asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion cre\u00adat\u00aded for the edu\u00adca\u00adtion of cannabis called NAMCE, that Berkowitz is a found\u00ading mem\u00adber of. It is a non-prof\u00adit orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion that ensures that the qual\u00adi\u00adty of edu\u00adca\u00adtion on cannabis is suf\u00adfi\u00adcient and appro\u00adpri\u00adate for indus\u00adtry use. Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties in the greater New Eng\u00adland area with cannabis pro\u00adgrams now include East\u00adern Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut State Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of New Haven, and sev\u00ader\u00adal com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty col\u00adleges. UConn is not involved with these oth\u00ader uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties but paved a path. The inter\u00adest in cannabis in jobs is an unde\u00adni\u00adable attrac\u00adtion to Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties, Berkowitz thinks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grad\u00adu\u00adate stu\u00addent Cameron Collins who works under Berkowitz, can attest. His cannabi\u00adnoid research in the lab pro\u00adduces eas\u00adi\u00adly trans\u00adfer\u00adable skills to cannabis start\u00adup com\u00adpa\u00adnies, many of which are con\u00adnect\u00aded with UConn, explained Collins. He works in the labs at UConn with oth\u00ader stu\u00addents mak\u00ading new dis\u00adcov\u00ader\u00adies in his indi\u00advid\u00adual research in what inter\u00adests him and has an oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to share with the greater com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty in cannabis coun\u00adcil meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

UConn\u2019s Incu\u00adba\u00adtor Direc\u00adtor, Park\u00ader Paul men\u00adtioned two com\u00adpa\u00adnies that uti\u00adlize cannabi\u00adnoids in their prod\u00aducts: 3BC, Inc and One\u00adness Tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies. Dr. Bri\u00adan Thomp\u00adson, Chief Exec\u00adu\u00adtive Offi\u00adcer of 3BC, Inc received his Ph.D. in bio\u00adchem\u00adistry from the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. Much of the research is assist\u00aded by dis\u00adcov\u00ader\u00adies in UConn labs. 3BC, Inc is a com\u00adpa\u00adny based in Farm\u00ading\u00adton that helps man\u00adu\u00adfac\u00adtur\u00aders sell safe and clean hemp-based prod\u00aducts to cus\u00adtomers. Thomp\u00adson says that this is a sci\u00adence that is trust\u00aded to ensure cus\u00adtomers do not get sick from products.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accord\u00ading to Berkowitz, UConn can pur\u00adchase mar\u00adi\u00adjua\u00adna seeds and have seedlings that, until they flower, will be below 0.3% THC, there\u00adfore being con\u00adsid\u00adered hemp- not mar\u00adi\u00adjua\u00adna. But, if sci\u00aden\u00adtists want to study a flow\u00adered mar\u00adi\u00adjua\u00adna plant, they\u2019d have to do so in a lab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adto\u00adry with a Sched\u00adule 1 license, some\u00adthing that is not in exis\u00adtence near UConn\u2019s campus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Berkowitz explained his strug\u00adgles to obtain a license from the Fed\u00ader\u00adal Gov\u00adern\u00adment to grow and study hemp in his UConn lab. The process involves a crim\u00adi\u00adnal his\u00adto\u00adry check, seed cer\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion con\u00adtracts, and sched\u00aduled plot inspections. <\/span><\/p>\n

He explained how he was told to lock the plants in a for\u00adti\u00adfied safe bolt\u00aded to the ground and install a fin\u00adger scan\u00adning sys\u00adtem at the door so there would be a log of who entered the lab. Berkowitz took these changes in stride but shared that he had to explain and advo\u00adcate for the para\u00adme\u00adters of the sci\u00adence. The cannabis sam\u00adples could not be locked in a safe since it is not tem\u00adper\u00ada\u00adture reg\u00adu\u00adlat\u00aded to a refrig\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded lev\u00adel. After more paper\u00adwork, the rules were mod\u00adi\u00adfied for con\u00adtin\u00adued research.<\/span><\/p>\n

As it stands, Berkowitz explains that things are chang\u00ading dai\u00adly, and their research\u2019s poten\u00adtial is end\u00adless. Their team is bare\u00adly scratch\u00ading the sur\u00adface. The plant still holds many mys\u00adter\u00adies to the sci\u00adence world and thus the every\u00adday citizen.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Estelle Jar\u00adrett UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism  Novem\u00adber 9, 2022 Mans\u00adfield \u2013 The Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut has been at the fore\u00adfront of cannabis research and edu\u00adca\u00adtion in recent years and has the poten\u00adtial to be a nation\u00adal leader in this schol\u00adar\u00adship area accord\u00ading to UConn pro\u00adfes\u00adsor Dr. Ger\u00adald Berkowitz. So many cannabis com\u00adpa\u00adnies, coun\u00adcils, and uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty edu\u00adca\u00adtion programs\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":926,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/926"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":361,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions\/361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}