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Despite federal hurdles, WSU researchers at the Center for Cannabis Policy Research and Outreach (CCPRO) are expanding cannabis science and collaboration.

Science Under Schedule I: Inside Washington State University’s Cannabis Research Program

Industry organizations respond after Governor Greg Abbott vetoed SB 3, citing safety and legal concerns.

Texas Governor Vetoes Bill to Ban Hemp-Derived THC in the State

The study tested the effects of real-world cannabis products categorized by four modes of administration: dabbing, vaping, bong-like, or joint-like products.

Study Highlights Role of Administration Modes in THC Exposure

The effect of orally ingested cannabis on information processing speed, sustained and divided attention, inhibitory control, and mental flexibility was measured.

Study Explores Impact of THC on Driving-Related Cognitive Skills in Medical Cannabis Users

Here, we bring you our top five recent articles covering cannabis testing regulations, water usage in indoor cultivation, the PREPARE Act, delta-8-THC research, and a new grant program from the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management.

Best of the Week: April 18– April 24, 2025

In our Higher Education: Research Initiatives That Deepen Our Understanding of Cannabis supplement, 

 interviewed Carrie Cuttler, PhD, Co-Director of the Center for Cannabis Policy Research and Outreach (CCPRO) at Washington State University.

In this video clip, Dr. Cuttler explains the research she has completed at The Health and Cognition (THC) Lab at WSU. The studies have focused the effects of chronic use and acute use of cannabis.

 to read the full expert interviews, including an interview with Reginald Gaudino, PhD, Director of the Cannabis Research Institute, Discovery Partners Institute.

In this interview clip from our Higher Education: Research Initiatives That Deepen Our Understanding of Cannabis supplement, Carrie Cuttler, PhD, describes results from a recent placebo-controlled FDA-approved clinical trial on THC’s impact on memory.

Research at The Health and Congition (THC) Lab: Interview with Carrie Cuttler, PhD

: Can you tell us more about The Health and Cognition Lab at WSU, how did you first become involved, and how have you seen the program evolve?

: Yeah, so this is my lab. I established this lab when I first came to Washington State University in 2014. When I first arrived at WSU, the legal cannabis dispensaries were first opening their doors, and so I really thought that cannabis research in our state especially would be critically important and very much needed. I established The Health and Cognition Lab, and I really started back then just looking at the effects of the regular chronic use of cannabis, due to the legal barriers surrounding the acute effects of cannabis. Because cannabis is a Schedule I drug, according to the federal government, and we are a federally funded institution, so we have to abide by federal law, it's very difficult to do research on the acute effects. So I started by just looking at the effects of chronic cannabis use when people are entirely sober. Looking at effects, for example, on cognition and memory and things like that.

Then I started to find and use some legal workarounds to try to understand more about the acute effects of cannabis. So I was analyzing big app data from a medical cannabis app, looking at symptom ratings before and after use as a function of different products and doses and whatnot. I also developed a Zoom method where we randomly assign people to purchase and use specific products sold at legal dispensaries, bring them home, use them at home on Zoom when we observe them, and then we would look at various outcomes, again, predominantly focusing on cognition, and those acute effects on cognition.

Now I'm actually running proper placebo-controlled laboratory investigations of THC and some minor cannabinoids, collaborating with Dr. McLaughlin, who has a Schedule 1 license with the DEA, and we have FDA approval. We're actually currently just about to finish this week, the very first FDA approved clinical trial of cannabis in the State of Washington.

: Are you able to tell us some of the significant results from the research?

: Yes, I mean that study we largely devised and designed to look at the acute effects of a lower dose, 20 milligrams, a higher dose, 40 milligrams of THC, on various aspects of memory relative to a placebo group. And I was trying to figure out which aspects of memory are impaired and which aspects are spared by acute cannabis intoxication, because most research on memory is just focused on verbal memory, and some studies have looked at things like working memory, but they really haven't looked at the entire like gamut of different kinds of memory, including prospective memory, temporal order memory, false memory and all this stuff. And what I'm finding is that cannabis just broadly negatively impacts basically every aspect of memory. We're not seeing much evidence that anything is very spared here. We're finding pretty robust effects on every aspect of memory.

Because we have to keep people in the lab for a full four hours after they inhale cannabis to make sure they're entirely sober, and we can only test their memory for an hour, we have them for an extra three hours. So for three hours, they spend their time in a chill out room, and it's filled with snacks and entertainment, PlayStation, but also a movie theater concession stand of snacks, essentially. And we observe them through a one-way mirror, and we're looking at the munchies phenomenon as well, and we're finding very robust evidence for the munchies phenomenon that when people are acutely intoxicated, they're eating about double the calories of people who are on the placebo.

: Are you going to do more in the future?

: Yes, we would. Hopefully, this is just the first of many, we're currently planning the follow up study where we're going to also look at various aspects of cognition, but then we'll also use EEG to look at brain activity.

Videos

At the Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) in Plainsboro, New Jersey, 

 sat down with Brandy Young, PhD, CEO and Founder of Certainty Analytical Labs to discuss her research and career in cannabis and analytical chemistry.

Young has worked in analytical chemistry for more than 15 years, initially working in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. She entered the cannabis industry after identifying a growing need for laboratory testing, especially with the expansion of medical and adult-use programs in New York. Recognizing the synergy between her expertise and the emerging demand, Young ventured into the cannabis sector to address the anticipated need for analytical services.

Regarding her EAS talk titled "The Characterization of Δ9-THC Enantiomers in Various Cannabis Products," Young discussed her passion for isomer analysis. Drawing from her graduate work at Purdue University, where she used mass spectrometry to differentiate isomers, she now extends that knowledge to the cannabis industry. The focus of her talk is on identifying and characterizing THC isomers, particularly an extension of a seminal paper that previously identified cis-trans THC molecules in cannabis products.

Young emphasized the evolution of the industry, noting that products are now more curated and dialed in. The ongoing research aims to add additional isomers, develop robust analytical methods, and contribute to the understanding of THC variations in cannabis products. Young highlighted the importance of characterizing products for consumers who seek consistent and compliant options in the marketplace. She also stressed the role of the laboratory in helping customers understand the composition of their products, not only in terms of THC content but also in identifying specific THC isomers. The overarching goal of her work is to provide consumers with accurate information about the products they consume and contribute to the overall improvement of manufacturing processes in the cannabis industry.

to hear her advice on overcoming challenges in the industry.

In this onsite interview at the Eastern Analytical Symposium, Certainty Analytical Labs CEO Brandy Young discusses THC isomers and lab testing

Analyzing THC Isomers in Cannabis: An EAS Interview with Brandy Young

Brandy Young, PhD, an analytical chemist with more than 15 years of experience, entered the cannabis industry in response to a recognized need for laboratory testing, aligning her expertise with the emerging demand in New York's active medical and adult-use cannabis programs. Here, she shares some background information on her talk at the Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS), which delves into the characterization of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) isomers in cannabis products.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

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