Winners of Veriheal’s 2022 Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship

Veriheal recognizes the value of education by presenting the Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship to a select group of cannabis-minded students with great ideas each year. We understand that education is costly, so we’re dedicated to investing in the future generation of cannabis industry leaders in the hopes that their one-of-a-kind discoveries and solutions will come to fruition one day.

Applicants from a wide range of academic disciplines were invited to write a 1,000-word essay on how they would enhance the cannabis market. The uniqueness and sustainability of their concepts, which varied from cannabis-derived art materials to dispensary co-ops to yeast-based cannabinoids, determined the winners. Each of these brilliant inventors will get $5,000 toward college tuition and expenses.

We are delighted to announce the five winners of Veriheal’s 2022 Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship.

Brown, Harrison

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a school.

Molecular cell biology is a major/program.

Naturalness is one of the cannabis plant’s main charms as a medicinal therapy, but farming it isn’t necessarily good for the environment due to variables like extensive fertilizer usage and high water use. Harrison presents an alternate method of obtaining cannabinoids such as THC. Yeast may be made to manufacture cannabinoids using gene-editing technologies. However, as compared to cannabis, yeast generates less CO2, consumes less water, and is more cost-effective overall. Producing cannabinoids using yeast might have a significant environmental effect while also cutting prices for medicinal cannabis users.

Shiloh Laycox’s Liberty

Arkansas State University

Chemical engineering is a major/program.

With hundreds of cannabis strains available, each with its own distinct mix of cannabinoids and terpenes, it may be difficult for medical patients to identify which ones are best for their condition (s). Freedom’s solution is extensive clinical research, which will reveal unique advantages and applications for each strain while also providing deeper insight into the influence of the cannabis plant’s numerous chemicals on medical ailments. The findings would be gathered into a public database in order to better educate patients and their physicians about the vast range of medicinal cannabis applications and to ensure patients get the treatment they need.

Gonzalez, Sarahi

Beloit College is a college.

Art as a major/program

In addition to being pricey, art materials are sometimes laden with chemicals, making them both unattractive and prohibitive for many aspiring artists. Cannabis, on the other hand, has the ability to overcome these problems. Sarahi’s idea includes a new cannabis product category: cannabis-derived creative materials. Cannabis and hemp plants would be utilized to manufacture paint pigments, textured paper, blenders, and paint brushes in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Sarahi feels that this enterprise will broaden the cannabis market while also making art materials more natural and accessible.

Shmilovich, Michael

University: University of Maryland

Medical cannabis research and therapeutics is a major/program.

Most cannabis users don’t have a lot of say in their local dispensaries, but Michael wants to change that with a new structure that reflects the neighborly spirit of the cannabis community: dispensary co-ops. Customers might become shareholders in their local dispensaries in return for different benefits for a monthly investment. Michael also recommends “buddy systems,” in which co-op members assist elderly or handicapped patients with cannabis purchases, as well as social events such as roundtable talks and “Meet Your Grower” field excursions to let customers interact with and learn from one another.

Leedy, Melissa

Pennsylvania Institute of Technology is a university.

Cannabis health treatment is a major/program.

Medical cannabis has the potential to significantly benefit senior individuals, whether to treat physical symptoms of aging or to battle the poor mental health that typically accompanies with shifting into assisted living settings. Melissa proposed the idea of cannabis-centric retirement villages and getaways with this in mind. Apart from medicinal cannabis therapy, these communities would provide on-site shops, salon services with cannabis-based items, and gardens where people could produce their own plant medicine. Melissa thinks that this venture will transform the character of retired living and provide older people with a higher quality of life.

We can’t wait to watch what these hardworking professionals accomplish. If you’re a student with a brilliant concept for growing the cannabis sector, keep a look out in the spring—next year’s competition will be here before you know it.