The Cannabis Research Review Board (CRRB) is the result of the Cannabinoid Research Act, (H.B. 130) that was passed and was signed into law during the 2017 Utah General Legislative Session. During the 2018 Utah General Legislative Session, amendments (H.B. 25) were made to Cannabinoid Research Act as follows:
The composition of the CRRB was modified from three board members being members of the Controlled Substance Advisory Committee to one; and The duties of the CRRB were broadened to include review of research regarding “expanded cannabinoid products” which includes cannabinoid products with significant tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.
The Cannabinoid Research Act directs DHHS to form and facilitate the CRRB. As stated in the legislation, the purpose of the CRRB is to review available research related to the human use of cannabinoid products. Specifically, the CRRB evaluates the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid products and expanded cannabinoid products in terms of:
- medical conditions that respond to cannabinoid products;
- dosage amounts and their medical forms; and
- interactions between cannabinoid products, expanded cannabinoid products, and other treatments.
The CRRB may only review research that has been approved by an Institutional Review Board, or approved/conducted by the federal government.
From this research, the CRRB is directed to develop prescribing guidelines that may potentially be used by qualified medical providers recommending cannabinoid products to their patients. The CRRB is directed to report the findings of their evaluation in writing to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee before November 1st of each year.
a) Notice of all meetings shall be posted on the Public Meeting Notice website.
b) Members of the general public may comment or give testimony with the following limitations:
1) Prior to their statements, each person testifying must fully disclose COI, including any association or financial relationship with a grower, processor, manufacturer, marketer, or seller of hemp, cannabis, or cannabinoid/extended cannabinoid or synthesized cannabinoid products, or an organization that lobbies for or on behalf of such.
2) Only one person from an organization may testify.
3) Comments are limited to meeting agenda items. Unsolicited testimony is limited to two (2) minutes
- Katherine Carlson, M.D., M.S. (Board Chair)
- Perry G. Fine, M.D. (Previous Board Chair)
- Matthew S. McIff, M.D. (Vice Chair)
- Michael Moss, M.D.
- Jennifer L. Norris, M.D.
- Misty D. Smith, Ph.D.
- Brian Keith Zehnder, M.D.
Psychiatrist Medical Director, Project Reality Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention Services
Professor of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Utah
Family Medicine Physician
Medical Director, Utah Poison Control, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah
Internal Medicine Physician
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah
Medical Director, Exodus Healthcare Network, PLLC Past member of the Utah State Legislature
- Chronic Pain - Dr. Perry Fine
- Multiple Sclerosis - Dr. Joel Ehrenkranz
- PTSD - Dr. Katherine Carlson
- Anxiety - Dr. Michael Crookston
- Opioid Use Disorder - Dr. Adam Gordon
- Suppository Administration of Cannabis Products - Dr. Karen S. Wilcox
- Autism - Dr. Deborah Bilder
- Dementia-Related Neuropsychiatric Symptoms - Dr. Megan Puckett
- Cannabis and Cancer Pain - Dr. Daniel W. Odell
- THC and Crash Data - Carrie Silcox, Highway Safety Division
- Cannabis Acute Pain - Lauren Heath PharmD, MS, BCACP
- Summary of the AHRQ Systematic Review on Cannabis/Plant-Based Treatments for Chronic Pain - Lauren Heath PharmD, MS, BCACP
- CRRB Cannabis Driving Impairment - Dr. Michael Moss
- Synthetic and Derivative Cannabinoid Q&A - Dr. Brandon Forsyth, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
- Cannabis Exposures Reported to Poison Centers - Dr. Michael Moss, Utah Poison Control
The Cannabis Research Review Board (CRRB) and the Center for Medical Cannabis at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) seek to create an inclusive medical cannabis program and an educated community by continuing to consider studies submitted by the industry and the public.
To this end, the DHHS and CRRB invite you and other stakeholders in the medical cannabis community to submit studies for review and consideration. The industry and public are welcome to submit studies published inside and outside the United States for review by the DHHS and CRRB. The DHHS will evaluate the validity of the scientific findings of each study submitted based on the rigor of the study design, the risk of bias, and relevance.
To submit a study for DHHS and CRRB review, please upload it to this form, and the DHHS staff will access it there. If the study has been found to meet the scientific rigor required by state statute, it will be shared with the Board.
Respectfully,
Sarah Ponce, MS, RN,
Research manager,
Center for Medical Cannabis