Oregon State University Hemp Research Center Nets $1M Private Donation

The Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center has received a $1 million gift from Oregon CBD whose founders, brothers Seth and Eric Crawford, graduated from the college, the Corvallis Gazette-Times reports. The GHIC was launched in July and includes 40 faculty members from 20 disciplines.

The funds from Oregon CBD will be used to explore hemp genomics to help better understand how hemp can be used in industrial applications, consumer goods, and health products.

Seth Crawford, a former OSU sociology professor, told the Gazette Times that “understanding genetics” is key to unlocking the “tremendous amount of possibility” with the crop.

“Philosophically, we believe the public land grant university needs to be the epicenter of that research so that all can benefit from the findings. We believe OSU is the right place to lead this research.” – Seth Crawford, to the Gazette-Times

Eric earned a horticulture degree from OSU and has worked as a naturalist at Mount Rainier National Park and owned a landscape architecture firm in Eugene.

According to the report, it’s the first major private donation to the center, which plans to publicly share its data and collaborate with other researchers and industry operators to study hemp.

Jay Noller, a professor of crop and soil science, said the center’s team has been “overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and interest” in the work of the GHIC.

Alan Sams, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, said the investment will accelerate the center’s leadership and help establish the college “at the forefront in genomic research in hemp.”