A part of the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
CANNABIS RESEARCH
The Qwibil Clinic Evaluation
WSU Collaboration on Cannabis Policy, Research and Outreach
The Qwibil Clinic Evaluation
The state of Washington was one of the first to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2012. American Indians and Alaska Native people are disproportionately affected by chronic pain conditions, and AIAN communities have also experienced harm as a result of pain solutions offered by Western medicine. In response to this, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians developed the Qwibil Natual Healing, Consultation and Research Center (Qwibil Clinic) which advises patients on the use of cannabis for the management of pain and other medical problems. Washington State University and the Qwibil Clinic teamed up in 2019 to create a data repository that gathers patient demographics and information about cannabis use, pain, negative affect, and sleep functioning to improve clinical care and conduct research.
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TEAM
Principal Director
Michael McDonell, Ph.D.
Scientific Assistant
Abram Lyons, MSW
PARTNERS
The Qwibil Natural Healing, Consultation and Research Center
Alan Shelton, M.D., Medical Director
Marjorie Matheson, MBA, CEO
WSU Collaboration on Cannabis Policy, Research and Outreach (CCPRO)
Cannabis was decriminalized in Washington in 2012. As a result, Washington State University is positioning itself as a leader in cannabis research. Dr. McDonell is currently the Chair of the Collaborative for Cannabis Policy, Research, and Outreach at WSU. The CCPRO provides guidance to the university administration regarding cannabis related research, policy and outreach. Over 75 WSU researchers are conducting cannabis related scholarship and research. In his role as the CCPRO Chair Dr. McDonell is leading university efforts to build a cannabis research infrastructure at WSU. In addition, Dr. McDonell conducts research focused on the influence of cannabis use on alcohol and mental health treatment outcomes.