About the Cannabis Research Class
The Humboldt Theme Class is a format of the Deutschlandstipendium (LINK) developed by Humboldt University in 2013 to promote and develop the scientific personalities of students. The first interdisciplinary Humboldt Theme Class “Cannabis Research Class” is supported by Aurora Europe. The thematic class is based at the Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences of the Faculty of Life Sciences and works closely with the Institutes of Biology and Psychology.
Mission
Medical cannabis is often associated with stigma and prejudice – we want to tackle this! This Humboldt Theme Class offers students the opportunity to deepen individual research projects on the topic of medical cannabis in a scientific discourse.
Vision
Bringing an ancient cultivar back into use through science and for the benefit of society.
groups
Research in a broad range of areas
The three research fields of the interdisciplinary thematic class are dedicated to questions of (1) production-related aspects and backgrounds, (2) medical use and effects, and (3) legal and economic framework conditions.
Production
This research group deals with the various aspects of production. The fellows conduct individual analyses and experiments on plant protection, nutrients, fertilization and the effects of changes in the THC and CBD content of the cannabis plant under a wide range of conditions. Responsible for the production group is Prof. Christian Ulrichs.
Nutritional & medicinal aspects
This research field is led by Prof. Dr. Caroline Stokes, who is head of the Food and Health research group at HU Berlin. The fellows assess the medicinal potential of cannabis by analyzing the existing evidence base and also evaluate the nutritional properties of hemp in terms of providing essential nutrients.
Social sciences & legislation
This research field is led by Prof. Dr. Tilman Brück, research group leader at IGZ, and analyzes “economic frameworks,” current academic and policy debates regarding the production, consumption, and regulation of cannabis.