Cannabis Research
The Cannabis Research Center (CRC) builds on current and past cannabis research conducted at the UMN School of Public Health. With the legalization of adult-use cannabis in the state, there will be many new questions to answer about its public health impact. We collaborate with state and local agencies, policymakers, and community members to ensure information is responsive to needs and accessible to all Minnesotans.
Research Summaries
Brief summaries, provided by the CRC, of existing research studies related to cannabis, cannabis legalization, and health.
Our Work: Cannabis Research Center Projects
The CRC conducts research on a wide range of cannabis topics. Below is a list of current and completed projects grouped by topic area. All projects are funded by the CRC unless otherwise noted.
Pseudo-underage purchase attempts of hemp-derived THC products
- Phase III: Greater Minnesota
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, MPH, Lauren Tschida, MPH, Traci Toomey, PhD, MPH - Phase II: Minnesota Twin Cities and suburbs
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, MPH; Lauren Tschida, MPH; Traci Toomey, PhD, MPH- How easy is it for underage people to buy THC gummies and seltzers in the Twin Cities?
- Minnesotans’ Views on THC Gummy and Seltzer Policies
- Phase I: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, MPH; Traci Toomey, PhD, MPH, Darin Erickson, PhD- Likelihood of Illegal Cannabis Sales to Underage Buyers in Minnesota
How underage youth may obtain cannabis: A conceptual model
Project Team: Kathleen Lenk, MPH; Traci L. Toomey, PhD; Colin Planalp, MPA; Julie Sanem, PhD; Rhonda Jones-Webb, Dr.PH; Natalie Scholz, MPH; Eileen Delehanty, PhD, MPH
- Research Summary – Full Length (Google Doc)
- Research Summary – Short (Google Doc)
Cannabis use and perceptions among Minnesota high school students
- Phase II: 2016-2025
Project Team: Colin Planalp, MPA, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Traci Toomey, PhD - Phase I: 2016-2022
Project Team: Colin Planalp, MPA, Robert Hest, MPP, Andrea Steward, MA
Collaborating Organization: State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC)
Funding Sources: Cannabis Research Center, State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC)
Cannabis and tobacco use among Minnesota youth
Project Team: Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Traci Toomey, PhD, Zinzi Bailey, ScD, MSPH
Cannabis use across the states in the early legalization era
Project Team: Colin Planalp, MPA
Funding Sources: Cannabis Research Center, State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC)
Public health implications of cannabis use policy in Minnesota
Project Team: Robert Hest, MPP, Colin Planalp, MPA, Andrea Steward, MA
Funding Sources: Cannabis Research Center, State Health Access Data Assistance Center
Summary of school-based education programs
Project Team: Zidane Galant-LaPorte, Julie Sanem, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD
Examination of current minimum legal marijuana use age 21 laws in a state where recreational marijuana is legal: California
Project Team: James Fell, MS, Traci Toomey, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD
Funding Agency: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Cannabis & student life: Understanding UMN students’ experiences related to cannabis
- Phase II: Spring 2026
Project Team: Julie Sanem, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Darin Erickson, PhD - Phase I: Fall 2025
Project Team: Julie Sanem, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Darin Erickson, PhD
University of Minnesota student cannabis use patterns and related consequences
Project Team: Natalie Scholz, MPH, Darin Erickson, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH
Understanding cannabis use by college students and the impact of cannabis legalization
Project Team: Julie Sanem, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH
Surveys at state and county fairs: Assessment of attitudes, product use and potential harms and consequences of use
- Phase IV: 2026
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH; Natalie Scholz, MPH, Colin Planalp, MPA - Phase III: 2025
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD; Traci Toomey, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH; Natalie Scholz, MPH, Colin Planalp, MPA- Self-reported Cannabis Use Patterns Among Minnesota State Fair Survey Respondents Research Brief (PDF)
- Phase II: 2024
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Colin Planalp, MPA - Phase I: 2023
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD
Parents’ and other caregivers’ attitudes and behaviors related to cannabis
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH
Use and attitudes/perceptions of hemp-derived cannabis products among Minnesotans in workplaces and non-work settings
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD
Funding Source: The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety Education and Research Center
Cannabis use across the states in the early legalization era
Project Team: Colin Planalp, MPA
Funding Sources: Cannabis Research Center, State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC)
Perceptions and opinions relating to cannabis in Minnesota
Project Team: Colin Planalp, MPA, Robert Hest, MPP, Andrea Steward, MA
Funding Sources: Cannabis Research Center, State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC)
Cannabis legalization and cannabis use in US: 2007-2022
Project Team: Darin Erickson, PhD, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Traci Toomey, PhD
Public health implications of cannabis use policy in Minnesota
Project Team: Robert Hest, MPP, Colin Planalp, MPA, Andrea Steward, MA
Funding Sources: Cannabis Research Center, State Health Access Data Assistance Center
Experiences, practices, and needs of healthcare professionals related to cannabis legalization
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Rhonda Jones-Webb, DrPH, Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Tim Beebe, PhD, Diana Augustin, MPH
Law enforcement experiences and needs related to cannabis enforcement
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD
Experiences and training needs of school support staff related to cannabis legalization in Minnesota
Project Team: Julie Sanem, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Zidane Galant-LaPorte, Lisa Hoogheem
Collaborating Organization: Minnesota Department of Education
- Project Summary (Google Doc)
- Webinar Recording – May 22, 2025 (Google Drive)
- Webinar Slides – May 22, 2025 (PDF)
Needs of local public health agencies related to cannabis legalization in Minnesota
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Mary Lyon, Darin Erickson, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Natalie Scholz, MPH
Collaborating Organization: Local Public Health Association
Location and density of hemp and cannabis retailers
- Phase II: Cannabis retailers in Minnesota
Project Team: Darin Erickson, PhD, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Dave Van Riper, MA - Phase I: Hemp retailers in Minnesota
Project Team: Natalie Scholz, MPH, Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Dave Van Riper, MA
Review of literature on location and density of retail cannabis outlets
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Kenzie Granger, Julie Sanem, PhD
Assessing the Packaging of Hemp-Derived THC Products
- Phase I: Products from pseudo-underage purchase attempts
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH
Cannabis-impaired driving crashes in Minnesota over time
Project Team: Natalie Scholz, MPH, Traci Toomey, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD, Kathleen. Lenk, MPH
Cannabis-related incidents reported to poison control in Minnesota and US as a whole
Project Team: Natalie Scholz, MPH, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Traci Toomey, PhD, Eileen Delehanty, PhD
Association of cannabis and cardiovascular outcomes in EHR data
Project Team: Faye Norby, PhD, Natalie Scholz, MPH
Cognitive testing of questions on the Minnesota Student Survey (MSS)
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH, Todd Rockwood, PhD, Jorge Loyo Lopez, MS
Funding Source: Minnesota Department of Health
THC and CBD content in foods and beverages
Project Team: Lisa Harnack, PhD, Traci Toomey, PhD, Darin Erickson, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Lauren Tschida, MPH, Natalie Scholz, MPH, Bhas Jasthi, PhD, Angela Birnbaum, PhD
- Subscribers to Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Newsletter
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Lauren Tschida, MPH - Various community locations/events in Twin Cities, Minnesota
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Lauren Tschida, MPH, Ivy Norman, MPH, Diana Augustin, MPH - Coffman Union, University of Minnesota
Project Team: Traci Toomey, PhD, Julie Sanem, PhD, Kathleen Lenk, MPH, Lauren Tschida, MPH, Ivy Norman, MPH, Diana Augustin, MPH
Barriers to access and costs of cannabis among those recently diagnosed with cancer: Implications for recent cannabis legislation in Minnesota
Project Team: Helen Parsons, PhD
Timeline of cannabis policies in Minnesota
Project Team: Eileen Delehanty, PhD
CRC-Funded Small Grant Projects
The CRC funds small grant projects to support researchers beyond the CRC to conduct cannabis-related research that aligns with the CRC’s mission. Small grant projects expand the scope of expertise and knowledge generated by the CRC. Below is a list of current and completed small grant projects.
A retrospective analysis of cannabis use prevalence in individuals prescribed metformin
Principal Investigator: Sade Spencer, PhD (Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine)
Co-Investigator: Mustafa al’Absi, PhD (Dept of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health, College of Medicine, Duluth)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Fall 2024)
Analytical Testing Protocols for Minnesota Recreational Cannabis
Principal Investigator: George D. Weiblen (Plant & Microbial Biology)
Co-Investigator: Jonathan P. Wenger, PhD (Plant & Microbial Biology)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Fall 2024)
Racial Differences in Cannabis Business Ownership and the Economic Effects of Minnesota’s Cannabis-Related Legislation
Principal Investigator: Samuel L. Myers, Jr., PhD (Humphrey School of Public Affairs)
Co-Investigator: Inhyuck “Steve” Ha, PhD (College of Business, Western Carolina University)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Fall 2024)
Assessing deviation and variance in THC levels in products purchased in Minnesota
Principal Investigator: Michael Raleigh, PhD (Pharmacology)
Co-Investigator: Carly Baehr, PhD (Pharmacology)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Spring 2025)
Minnesota adolescents’ cannabis use after legalization: Exploring disparities in change, use and related risk across SES and social identities
Principal Investigator: Marla Eisenberg, ScD, MPH (School of Medicine & School of Public Health)
Co-Investigators: Amy Gower, PhD (School of Medicine), and Hana-May Eadeh, PhD (Hennepin Healthcare)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Spring 2025)
Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Linking Adolescent Cannabis use and Suicidal Ideation
Principal Investigator: Brenden Tervo-Clemmens, PhD (Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences) and Charles Lewis, MD (Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences)
Co-Investigators: Saonli Basu, PhD (Biostatistics), Damien Fair, PhD (Pediatrics & Institute of Child Development), and Ka Ip, PhD (Institute of Child Development)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Spring 2025)
Note: bold = CRC team member, * = CRC affiliate
Systematic Literature Review on the Genotoxic, Mutagenic, and Carcinogenic Mechanisms and Effects of Cannabis
Student Investigator: Morgan Pak, MPH Student (School of Public Health Division of Environmental Health Sciences)
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Silvia Balbo (School of Public Health Division of Environmental Health Sciences)
Co-investigator Dr. Angela Birnbaum (College of Pharmacy Department of Experimental & Clinical Pharmacology)
Funding Source Cannabis Research Center (Summer 2024)
Cannabis use and attitudes among Minnesota youth: Exploring differences across time and intersecting social identities
Principal Investigator: Marla Eisenberg, ScD, MPH (School of Medicine & School of Public Health)*
Co-Investigator: Amy Gower, PhD (School of Medicine)*
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Spring 2024)
Project Summary
- Gower, A. L., Watson, R. J., Pieczykolan, L. L., & Eisenberg, M. E. (2025). The role of bias-based bullying in regular cannabis use among adolescents. Addictive behaviors, 170, 108441. Advance online publication.
- Eisenberg ME. Gower AL. Pieczykolan LL. Watson RJ. Regular cannabis use and promotive attitudes among diverse adolescents: the role of age and intersecting social positions. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, in press.
Dosage, efficacy, and adverse events of medical cannabis in Minnesota residents
Principal Investigator: Angela K. Birnbaum, PhD, MLS (ASCP), (College of Pharmacy)*
Co-Investigator: Jeannine M. Conway, PharmD, (College of Pharmacy)*
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Spring 2024)
A Qualitative Study of Cannabis Use Among Transgender and Gender Diverse People Across the Cancer Care Continuum
Student Investigator: Ben C. D. Weideman, MS (they/them and he/him), PhD student (Health Services Research, Policy and Administration)
Faculty Advisor: G. Nic Rider, PhD (they/them) (UMN Medical School)
Co-investigators: Courtney Sarkin, PhD, MBE (she/her) (Division of Epidemiology and Community Health), Madeleine J. Pesch, BA (she/her) (3rd year UMN medical student)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Summer 2024)
Associations between Cannabis Use and Student Health: Minnesota Student Survey 2022
Student Investigators: Subin Jang and Wanlin Hu (School of Public Health)
Faculty Advisor: Ellen Demerath, PhD (School of Public Health)
Funding Source: Cannabis Research Center (Fall 2024)
Note: bold = CRC team member, * = CRC affiliate
The Cannabis Research Center provides funding for research projects related to cannabis through a Small Grant Request for Applications (RFA) process when funding is available. Previous RFAs have been open to University of Minnesota faculty researchers and/or University of Minnesota Masters or PhD students in degree-seeking programs. Open funding opportunities will be listed on the CRC homepage.
Additional Cannabis Publications
Fell JC, Toomey T, Eichelberger AH, Kubelka J, Schriemer D, Erickson D. What is the likelihood that underage youth can obtain marijuana from licensed recreational marijuana outlets in California, a state where recreational marijuana is legal? Journal of Safety Research, 82:102-111, 2022.
Lenk KM, Wiens T, Fabian LEA, Erickson DJ. Practices and policies of marijuana retail stores in the first two US states to legalize recreational marijuana sales, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 28:4, 340-348, 2021.
Calvert CM, Erickson D. Recreational cannabis legalization and alcohol purchasing: ,a difference-in-differences analysis. Journal of Cannabis Research. Jul 7;3(1):27. 2021.
Calvert C, Erickson D. An examination of relationships between cannabis legalization and fatal motor vehicle and pedestrian-involved crashes. Traffic Injury Prevention. 21(8):521-526, 2020.
Wiens T, Lenk KM, Fabian LEA, Erickson DJ. Law enforcement practices in the first two states in U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana. International Journal of Drug Policy, 61:38-43, 2018
Scholz, N., Lenk, K. M., Joshi, S., Delehanty, E., Erickson, D. J., Toomey, T. L., Jones-Webb, R., & Nelson, T. F. (2024). Cannabis and alcohol enforcement strategies across the U.S. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 10.15288/jsad.24-00200. Advance online publication.
Nannini DR, Zheng Y, Joyce BT, Gao T, Liu L, Jacobs DR, Schreiner PJ, et al. Marijuana use and DNA methylation-based biological age in young adults. Clinical Epigenetics. 2022;14(1):134.
Bancks MP, Auer R, Carr JJ, Goff DC Jr, Kiefe C, Rana JS, Reis J, Sidney S, Terry JG, Schreiner PJ. Self-reported marijuana use over 25 years and abdominal adiposity: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Addiction. 2018 Apr;113(4):689-698.
Auer R, Vittinghoff E, Yaffe K, Künzi A, Kertesz SG, Levine DA, Albanese E, Whitmer RA, Jacobs DR Jr, Sidney S, Glymour MM, Pletcher MJ. Association between lifetime marijuana use and cognitive function in middle age: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Mar;176(3):352-61.
Bancks MP, Pletcher MJ, Kertesz SG, Sidney S, Rana JS, Schreiner PJ. Marijuana use and risk of prediabetes and diabetes by middle adulthood: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Diabetologia. 2015 Dec;58(12):2736-44
Braun BL, Hannan P, Wolfson M, Jones-Webb R, Sidney S. Occupational attainment, smoking, alcohol intake, and marijuana use: ethnic-gender differences in the CARDIA study. Addictive Behaviors. 2000 May-Jun;25(3):399-414.
Borrell LN, Jacobs DR Jr, Williams DR, Pletcher MJ, Houston TK, Kiefe CI. Self-reported racial discrimination and substance use: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2007 Nov 1;166(9):1068-79.
In addition to cannabis research, the U of M School of Public Health has broad research expertise in alcohol, tobacco, and opioids. View highlights of relevant alcohol, tobacco, and opioid publications and research studies conducted at SPH on our Substance Abuse Research page.
Social Equity
Exploring African American and American Indian perspectives on cannabis legislation and social equity
Project Team: Kyle Hill, PhD, MPH, Rhonda Jones-Webb, Dr.PH, Diana Augustin, MPH, Najma Dahir-Abdulla, MPH
Cannabis legislation and social equity: A scoping review
Project Team: Rhonda Jones-Webb, DrPH, Kyle Hill, PhD, Diana Augustin, University of Minnesota libraries