The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) has released details regarding Wayne State University and the University of Michigan receiving 2022 Veteran Marijuana Research (VMR) Grant Program Award recommendations.
On April 1, 2022, the CRA issued an RFP (Request For Proposals) for the VMR grants. The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act was passed by Michigan voters in November 2018, creating the Marijuana Regulation Fund in the state treasury.
The legislation requires the CRA to expend money in the fund until 2022 or for at least two years as a means of providing $20 million each year to one or more clinical trials approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and sponsored by a non-profit organization or researcher within an academic institution researching the efficacy of marijuana in treating domestic armed services veterans medical conditions of domestic armed and preventing veteran suicide.
A review team recommended Wayne State University be awarded the full amount requested for both proposals, $9,028,541 and $3,536,524, while the University of Michigan was awarded $7,434,935 of the requested $11,987,667.
Solicitation responses were reviewed by a Joint Evaluation Committee (JEC), consisting of CRA Executive Director Andrew Brisbo, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Deputy Director Robert Near, and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Medical Adviser for the State Hospital Administration Dr. Catherine Reid.