On September 26th, the Ellison Lab was fortunate enough to receive a visit from Senator Melissa Agard to learn more about the various cannabis research efforts being conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The visit included:
- A tour of the greenhouse at Moore Hall to talk about the differences between high THC cannabis, industrial hemp (grain and fiber) and high cannabinoid hemp (CBD and CBG). The Ellison lab conducts several field trials annually, so there was no shortage of plants to bring in for demonstration (see photo).
- Walkthrough of the lab to meet with members of the research team to discuss the various genetic, plant breeding, and pathology research being conducted. Senator Agard spent time speaking with each member of the lab (PhD, MS, and undergraduate) individually to learn about the work they are doing. What a great opportunity!
- A hosted lunch with a presentation from the Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center to share their work involving gene editing in cannabis! The day ended with a candid discussion about the challenges and barriers to cannabis research and ways that we can work together to move cannabis forward in Wisconsin.
We are very honored for the opportunity to share our work and appreciate the willingness from our elected representatives to visit and engage with us!