Opportunity to join a lab to study Cannabis. Is it worth it?

[aloegarten]

Howdy y'all,

I've had a lot of difficulty finding a research lab related to psychology, neuroscience, or health to get into. A majority of the emails I have sent don't get responses and it has led me to look for other options. One thing I never really considered, but has been in front of me the whole time, is that I can work in my school's hemp lab studying cannabis sativa. My school is very unique, we're one of the only schools in Texas that study the plant and have organizations dedicated to education and research over it. I have been a very active member in this organization and I'm even a candidate for a scholarship through it.

I am a neuroscience major, so horticulture is a pretty big step in another direction, but I think this lab is really interesting and innovative. I already know everyone in there along with the professors through my org, which I think is a really great advantage to this. Alongside that, a lot of my volunteer work, advocacy, and experiences are through this org. I'm also thinking that it could be pretty easy to get an opportunity to watch what they do in the lab for a day to see if I really do like it. My parents oppose it a lot, and think that medical schools wouldn't like to see such high involvement in such a taboo subject.

What do you guys think? Should I go for it or should I keep searching for more "medical" related labs?

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[Med Ed]

This is biological research in 2025, not a high school assembly in 1985. I just searched Pubmed for "cannabis sativa" and there were over 37,000 hits.

Cannabis has obviously become more accepted in recent years, but there are many unanswered questions about how its more pervasive use will affect people and society. This is especially true given the general increase in potency of commercially available cannabis products.

If an opportunity to work in this area is open to you, I would not hesitate to take advantage of it.

 

[Crayola227]

Yeah I like to think most physician adcom types would understand no matter what one thinks of the topic it deserves study. But I would be prepared for questions like "what inspired you into this line of research" as a subtle way of getting at, "are you a stoner?" Because that would be relevant 🤣 so have a good answer ready like you did above

But be assured it will definitely be a point of interest, and that's generally a good thing

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Can I ask... who's funding this research... or your school? It's not that the topic is taboo, but I'm curious where the funding is coming from. See tobacco industry influence on "research."

FWIW until information changes on the whim of the current administration:

Cannabis and Brain Health

The effects of cannabis use on brain health.

www.cdc.gov

My first hunch: research is NOT a requirement for medical school. You don't have to do this unless it's a graduation requirement.

 

[aloegarten]

Can I ask... who's funding this research... or your school? It's not that the topic is taboo, but I'm curious where the funding is coming from. See tobacco industry influence on "research."

Texas A&M AgriLife and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The research they do is not over recreational use, it's for industrial applications (i.e rope, fabrics, hemp concrete, and other products.)

My first hunch: research is NOT a requirement for medical school. You don't have to do this unless it's a graduation requirement.

I've heard this a lot and I've also heard that for this year I should focus more on getting volunteer hours and or clinical hours as well. That's definitely on my mind, but I am really interested in lab work and would to be a part of a lab.

 

[aloegarten]

Yeah I like to think most physician adcom types would understand no matter what one thinks of the topic it deserves study. But I would be prepared for questions like "what inspired you into this line of research" as a subtle way of getting at, "are you a stoner?" Because that would be relevant 🤣 so have a good answer ready like you did above

But be assured it will definitely be a point of interest, and that's generally a good thing

I definitely get asked this question a lot because of my involvement with this organization. The answer is no. In fact, I really do not like the recreational applications of this plant nor the culture surrounding it. However, I recognize that for many people (i.e people with joint pain like my parents) this plant has many benefits and applications that are beyond what I could ever see myself using it for.

It's definitely an interesting topic, hopefully I can use it to my advantage someday.

 

[InternationalChaos]

I definitely get asked this question a lot because of my involvement with this organization. The answer is no. In fact, I really do not like the recreational applications of this plant nor the culture surrounding it. However, I recognize that for many people (i.e people with joint pain like my parents) this plant has many benefits and applications that are beyond what I could ever see myself using it for.

It's definitely an interesting topic, hopefully I can use it to my advantage someday.

If you are going in with that attitude you are demonstrating a mature and scientific perspective on the research. So communicate that.

 

[AsclepiusAdvisingLLC]

Howdy y'all,

I've had a lot of difficulty finding a research lab related to psychology, neuroscience, or health to get into. A majority of the emails I have sent don't get responses and it has led me to look for other options. One thing I never really considered, but has been in front of me the whole time, is that I can work in my school's hemp lab studying cannabis sativa. My school is very unique, we're one of the only schools in Texas that study the plant and have organizations dedicated to education and research over it. I have been a very active member in this organization and I'm even a candidate for a scholarship through it.

I am a neuroscience major, so horticulture is a pretty big step in another direction, but I think this lab is really interesting and innovative. I already know everyone in there along with the professors through my org, which I think is a really great advantage to this. Alongside that, a lot of my volunteer work, advocacy, and experiences are through this org. I'm also thinking that it could be pretty easy to get an opportunity to watch what they do in the lab for a day to see if I really do like it. My parents oppose it a lot, and think that medical schools wouldn't like to see such high involvement in such a taboo subject.

What do you guys think? Should I go for it or should I keep searching for more "medical" related labs?

A major requirement of early physicians was knowledge of and stewardship of plants. How various plants alter the mind and health has likewise been studied since Hippocrates.

The study of cannabis is multi-faceted. We are still learning the effects of cannabis consumption on the body. Cannabis is not a taboo subject for medical schools - I mean, you're not gonna write a personal statement about smoking the stuff. Likewise, if you are in a position to be eligible for scholarships, that's a major recognition of your commitment to horticulture.

Check out the lab, see how you like it and what they are researching. Talk with the lab head about how you might make some time in the lab to discuss health insights of what you're researching.

Also check out other "medical"-related labs but remember schools are going to learn about your research experience through your narrative about it. If you can describe thinking medically in the horticulture lab, then schools will take what you've researched as "medical."