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The Missouri-Kansas Cannabis and Hemp Research Corridor
by Todd Scattini , contributing writer
The I-70 Corridor that runs East to West across Kansas and Missouri has been called the Animal and Human Health Corridor because many of the nation ’ s premier medical and animal health companies have found fertile ground for research collaboration and innovation by clustering in the Kansas City area . All along I-70 are some of the nation ’ s premier research institutions in medicine for humans and animals combined with exceptional agricultural and engineering schools . Missouri and Kansas are also home to a combined 560,000 veterans because of the large concentration of active duty , National Guard and Reserve military bases here . This means there is a robust system of Veterans Administration ( VA ) Hospitals in the population centers and VA Clinics throughout rural communities to service them all .
The Veterans Administration , our nation ’ s most extensive healthcare system with the largest patient population in the country ( 9 million ), has research partnerships with the Missouri University System , Kansas University ( KU Med ), and likely many more . They are currently seeking veteran volunteers for over 170 active research projects ( none including cannabis , if you are curious ) in areas such as biomedical research , rehabilitation , autoimmune disorders , oncology , diabetes , and more . 1 There is no doubt that Kansas and Missouri present a phenomenal ecosystem and platform for research , development , and innovation in multiple domains .
Now , let ’ s throw in weed — industrial hemp and medical and adult-use / recreational cannabis .
Missouri first legalized medical cannabis in 2018 and adult use in 2022 . Many veterans and others have turned to this product to treat conditions previously only addressed by pharmaceutical medicines , sometimes with very negative results such as addiction and overdoses . One great element of Missouri ’ s new adult-use laws is the potential for research licenses that will set the stage for research into many areas of the cannabis plant and the technology in the cannabis industry .
Kansas , on the other hand , still maintains cannabis prohibition , where having one small jay ( joint ) or an edible can get your children taken away from you and get you thrown in the slammer . Kansas Governor Laura Kelly ’ s proposals to move Kansas into the modern era with a medical cannabis program have continually met fierce resistance even as she cited examples to media such as U . S . Army Veteran David Auble , a dying man pleading with the Legislature to let him use marijuana products to ease his pain . 2
Kansas is sandwiched right between two adult-use states , Missouri and Colorado ( the first state in the U . S . to legalize cannabis for adult use in 2012 ). And , of course , Kansas is bordered in the South by what Kansans call the “ Wild West ” of medical marijuana , Oklahoma . So , Kansas is the only state standing in the way of making the I-70 corridor from Colorado to Illinois the Cannabis and Hemp Research Corridor .
Colorado universities have been conducting varying levels of research for well over a decade . 3
In Illinois , the recently established Cannabis Research Institute is expected to do work on crop production , health benefits and risks , worker training , and advocacy on policy issues such as social equity . And finally , in Missouri , the recently passed Amendment 3 provides opportunities for research licenses that will be bolstered by the ongoing educational programs at Saint Louis University ’ s Cannabis Science and Operations Program .
I hope that the Missouri University System ( Mizzou , UMKC , UMSL , and Rolla S & T ) opens its doors to this opportunity to conduct deep research into all aspects of the cannabis plant , from industrial hemp all the way to medical and adult-use cannabis . This research corridor provides an incredible opportunity to the Veterans Administration health officials and medical personnel who should lean into the research opportunity and recognize the potential of Missouri and Kansas to serve as the beating heart of a research corridor focused on hemp and cannabis and what the plant can provide the military and veteran community .
The cannabis plant is a giving plant with many uses , including food , fuel , fiber , feed for animals , sustainable building materials , and of course , medicine . The potential for research into any of these areas is limited only by our imagination and creativity within the structures named above .
We should encourage and empower this research corridor with the ideas , technology , and purpose to facilitate such endeavors . With hemp , we should seek to understand everything we can about the plant , especially the ability of the plant to capture carbon and provide materials for sustainable , carbon-negative construction . We should also lean heavily on the plant as a food source for both animals and humans . For the medical aspects of cannabis , we should serve as the ideal platform for the Veterans Administration to gain an understanding of how cannabis can increase the survivability of soldiers in combat and allow veterans and their families to thrive after service . Finally , we should increase the educational focus on cannabis through our academic institutions to help develop the workforce that will power this globally expanding industry .
Last month in my article “ How Many Lives Can You Save With a 5 x 5-foot Grow Tent ?” I introduced you to the first veteran to receive the generous grow package donated to Harvest 360 and our non-profit Hemp For Victory Foundation donated by GrowGeneration , the nation ’ s largest hydroponic equipment supplier . GrowGen has donated ten 5 x 5-foot grow tent packages complete with lights , filters , and