Could 2025 be year of cannabis industry-university partnerships?

(This is a contributed guest column.To be considered as an MJBizDaily guest columnist, please submit your request here.) Pam Chmiel (Courtesy photo)2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for partnerships between the cannabis industry and universities, both in the United States and globally.

While academic collaborations are not a new concept, the cannabis industry has been slow to embrace them – mainly because marijuana is illegal on the federal level in the United States. ADVERTISEMENT However, as the industry matures, these partnerships represent the next logical step for companies with the vision and resources to drive innovation, influence policy and shape the future of cannabis.

The potential for collaboration spans research partnerships, sponsored research agreements, joint ventures and licensing arrangements through technology transfer agreements.Universities play a crucial role in early stage innovation, while industry partners provide the resources and infrastructure for commercialization.

Universities across the United States already are racing to respond to the rapid rise of the cannabis industry, creating education programs to meet surging student demand – even in states where marijuana remains illegal.Many of these institutions are eager to forge partnerships with cannabis businesses, leveraging their academic expertise, cutting-edge research capabilities and access to patient populations.

Meanwhile, cannabis companies bring the entrepreneurial know-how to commercialize innovations and get them to market.American agricultural schools have led the way in cannabis-related partnerships, particularly in hemp research.

Institutions such as the University of Kentucky, Clemson University, the University of North Carolina and Cornell University have collaborated with hemp farmers to tackle pesticide management, crop steering and genetic seed-engineering challenges.These efforts aim to improve plant...