University Of Washington Takes On Pot Rules

The growing marijuana industry in the US has created a hot debate over how states' laws regarding the drug compare to those written at a federal level. Everything from banking to scientific testing has been called in to question when it comes to marijuana as differing laws from state to state make it difficult to determine whether federal mandates should be followed. For that reason, there has been an increased interest in cannabis legislation and the University of Washington is planning to explore that topic through its school of law during the next academic year.

A new group formed by the University of Washington's law school is planning to study the marijuana market next year in an effort to better understand how newly legalized recreational marijuana may impact the state. The group will look into everything from food and drug laws to banking regulations and environmental implications using resources from across the campus.

Called the

, the group has been funded through a $185,000

from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. The program is expected to help state lawmakers gain trusted insight into the impact the cannabis industry will have on the state and improve decision making regarding regulations at the state level.

While the University of Washington's program is the first of its kind, many expect to see similar university groups emerge in the coming years. As marijuana laws differ from state to state, it can be difficult for those with a medial or recreational cannabis market to get reliable information to help with decision making. Also, complications that arise from conflicting state and federal laws have no precedents that government officials can follow, so having a dedicated team of researchers can be beneficial.