The CU Museum of Natural History will debut Cannabis: A Visual Perspective, a first-of-its-kind art installation of botanical illustrations of cannabis, 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8. The exhibit explores the diversity of the cannabis genus of flowering plants and also spotlights CU Boulder’s groundbreaking scientific research in the field.
Who: Open to the public
What: Cannabis: A Visual Perspective
When: Sept. 8 through Jan. 31
Where: CU Museum of Natural History, BioLounge Gallery
Admission: Free
The Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists (RMSBA) is presenting the exhibit, which features a juried selection of botanical illustrations rendered in watercolor, acrylic, oil, colored pencil, pastel, print and mixed media. The artwork is designed to educate the public about the scientific uses of botanical illustrations and highlight their aesthetic qualities. Visitors will get a unique perspective of how artists interpret plant life and incorporate their creative vision into their artwork.
The exhibit also provides the museum with opportunities to educate visitors about Colorado’s marijuana laws, university policies prohibiting the use, possession and distribution of marijuana and other drugs on campus, and to remind the community that CU Boulder remains a smoke-free campus.
Later this fall, the museum will host two science-focused lectures that examine cannabis research occurring on the CU Boulder campus. Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
For more information, please visit the museum’s website.
Diversity in Cannabis Sativa
Tues., Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.
Daniela Vergara, a CU Boulder postdoctoral researcher, will share the results of her studies on the genetic diversity of multiple cannabis varieties, including the variation we see in the whole genome, in the chemicals produced by the cannabis plant, and in the genes related to cannabinoid production.
Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Health After Legalization
Wed., Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.
Given the increasing prevalence of recreational and medicinal marijuana and changing legal policies, understanding the effects of different forms of cannabis on the human body is an increasingly important topic. Cinnamon Bidwell, an assistant research professor in the CU Change Lab, will provide an overview of the current state of human cannabis research and limitations on conducting cannabis research due to federal regulations. She will propose a path forward for collecting data on the abuse liability and potential therapeutic effects of legal market cannabis products.
