Cannabis Research in Washington State

As the legal cannabis market expands across the country and in Washington state, there is a growing need to engage diverse perspectives to further enhance research on the effects of cannabis use on individuals, communities and society. In addition, there is a need to inform the development of equitable and inclusive public policies and programs that maximize the benefits of legalization while minimizing the harms. Moreover, the surge in cannabis availability and the decline in perceived risk have contributed to greater use among many populations, increasing the urgency to better understand the public health consequences of cannabis use as well as creating new opportunities to investigate its potential therapeutic benefits. The result is a rich research landscape with lots of questions in need of researchers to investigate them.

A diverse cannabis research community would expand the range of perspectives and expertise available to design and carry out innovative research that could help answer pressing questions and address information gaps related to cannabis in the state. While there is limited information on the demographics of the cannabis research community in the state, it is well established that Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) populations are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields compared to their proportion in the overall U.S. population1. These gaps have persisted despite substantial investments in programs aimed at helping underrepresented groups enter, persevere and thrive in STEM.

In recognition of the severe and detrimental impacts of the disproportionate enforcement of laws related to the use, possession and sale of cannabis on historically marginalized communities, the Washington State Legislature established a cannabis social equity program in 2020 through HB 28702. This initiative included funds for the Washington State Department of Commerce to administer a competitive technical assistance grant program to help those harmed by cannabis criminalization to benefit financially from the legal market. In 2022, the legislature authorized a community reinvestment account, also administered by Commerce, aimed at supporting BIPOC individuals in entering the retail, producer, and processor sectors of the cannabis industry. Commerce recognizes that there is also a need and an opportunity to explore how they might increase representation of BIPOC individuals in cannabis research.