BCC Begins Accepting University Applications For Prop 64 Research Grants

The California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) is asking public universities to begin applying for research grants to study Prop 64.

California voters passed Prop 64 in 2016, legalizing adult-use cannabis in the state.

The BCC on Thursday announced a Request for Proposals, inviting California public universities to apply for millions of dollars in research grants.

According to the BCC, it has $30 million that it will allocate for research projects related to the implementation of Prop 64 and the effects that the law has had on the state.

The grant funds are a result of Prop 64’s cultivation and sales taxes, $10 million of which is allocated annually for grants to public universities to study the law and evaluate its impact.

The grant funds are available to all public universities in California, and applicants may receive up to $2 million for any specific proposal.

Universities may submit more than one proposal, as long as the research projects are not duplicative.

“The Bureau is excited to open the application process for public university research grant funding,” says BCC Chief Lori Ajax. “This funding and the research it will support is an important step in evaluating our legal cannabis system and its impacts.”

For grant consideration, research proposals must fall within specific categories, which include criminal justice, public safety, economic effects, environmental impacts, public health, and the cannabis industry.

The full list of research subjects is detailed in California’s Revenue and Taxation Code, Section 34019.

Researchers should plan to use grant funds within two years from the date of disbursement, though the BCC may grant extensions in certain instances.

Applications must be completed and submitted through the BCC’s online portal by no later than 11:59 p.m. on October 19, 2020.

Questions regarding the Request for Proposals must be submitted to the BCC by 11:59 p.m. on September 24

The BCC will notify grant recipients on November 6.