Gerald Berkowitz News Today

Natures Holiday offered UConn about $1 million in research money, but most of it went up in smoke with the companys collapse.

Genetic engineering, cannabinoid chemistry and a growing cadre of professional cannabis growers reveal a changing industry.

Cannabis quality has been a conversation topic and area of concern for some consumers and state lawmakers, especially as the state’s marijuana industry preps for a major growth spurt following the January launch of recreational sales.

In 2017 UConn horticulture professor Gerald Berkowitz and a group of 40 students toured the facilities of Curaleaf, one of Connecticut’s four medical marijuana producers, and picked up an interesting tidbit. “The CEO of the company was saying that he could never find any [job applicants] that had any knowledge of cannabis horticulture,” Berkowitz said. “In fact, there were no programs or anything in the country to address that.” About two years later, Berkowitz established UConn’s f...