Community-Based Participatory Research

This study is a Community-Based Participatory Research project, which means community members, organizational representatives, and academic researchers work in an equitable partnership in all aspects of the research process. In short, community involvement is key to the success of this project! Two community-based organizations, Origins Council and United Core Alliance, are partnered in the study. Moreover, there will be a host of opportunities for community members throughout the state to participate and make their voices heard. Learn more about our Community-Based Participatory Research methodology here.

Cultural Sensitivity & Research Participant Safeguards

This study is being implemented through a culturally-sensitive community outreach, education and engagement plan which has been collaboratively developed by the research team. Prior to the launch of the project’s community engagement activities, the research team participated in cultural competency training led by LCG Research Community Team members, Khalil Ferguson and Hannah Nelson. Khalil led on the design and implementation of an internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training for project personnel and Hannah conducted a workshop for project personnel entitled “Considerations Regarding Marginalized Communities: Cannabis Criminalization” 

As LCG Research Community Team members, Khalil and Hannah are keenly aware that marginalized people, including those who have been impacted by the criminalization of cannabis, may have concerns and an initial hesitation to participate in research which seeks to document legacy cannabis genetics. To acknowledge these palpable concerns and to promote transparency regarding the protections baked into the project,  Khalil and Hannah are conducting an extensive review to ensure that each and every step of the research process and the protections to safeguard the confidential and sensitive information was fully thought through and understood by the entire research team. This effort is a direct response to the concerns expressed within the project’s community outreach, education and engagement activities and their direct experiences from working with communities heavily impacted by criminalization.  At upcoming community meetings, Khalil and Hannah present both the expressed concerns and the practical ways the project implements safeguards to address participation hesitancy. Input from community members and the project’s Community Advisory Board  will also inform the research team’s activities, and evaluations will garner feedback on the effectiveness of the steps taken to address these important participation concerns.

Community Advisory Board

Critical to our Community-Based Participatory Research methodology is the establishment of a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to guide and collaborate with our research team. The CAB will comprise 13 members of the legacy producing community,  including representation from rural, urban and BIPOC communities, with exceptional knowledge, experience and expertise relevant to legacy genetics. CAB will collaborate with project personnel to help inform the implementation and refinement of the culturally-sensitive, Community Outreach, Education and Engagement Plan; help to socialize the project; advise project personnel on the design and implementation of community relations campaigns, educational programming, community meetings and field work; collaborate with project personnel to develop criteria, identify and recruit research participants; collaborate with project personnel to support research, analysis and community engagement regarding botanical, legal and public policy scopes; inform program evaluation; advise project personnel in analyzing research data and co-authoring publications; attend and present at public dissemination conference to support dissemination of research findings and publications.

C.A.B. Criteria, Application & Selection Process

In spring 2025, community members from our study regions referred to Origins Council and United Core Alliance by our regional partner organizations participated in a series of focus group meetings to support the research team in developing the criteria, application and selection process for establishing the project’s Community Advisory Board. 

The initial application period is anticipated to open in late April, and will be open for several weeks. Once the application window has closed, the research team will select the 13 members of the C.A.B based on the criteria informed by the LCG Focus Group, which is linked below. The members of the C.A.B will be announced on our website and all applicants will be notified via email. Applicants who did not secure a seat on the C.A.B will be added to the LCG C.A.B. waiting list in the event that seat(s) open up at a later time. Application form coming soon.

Participate in the Research

Study Regions

• • Rural Regions: Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, Sonoma, and Nevada Counties and the Central Coast including Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties.
  • Urban Regions: Northern California region including Sacramento, Richmond, Oakland and San Francisco; Southern California region including Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego 

Nominate Research Participants

In this project, we recognize communities as the experts. Therefore, community nominations will also be used in the selection of research participants for three areas of the study: Herbarium Science and/or Genetic Sequencing; Oral Histories; and Ethnography & Political Geography. The nomination process is anonymous and unlimited, meaning you can submit as many nominations as you like in all three areas. Each nomination will be categorized, anonymized and placed through the selection process with the project’s Community Advisory Board and research team.

Use the buttons below to submit a nomination for one or more of the three research areas.  You can submit a nominations for yourself and/or others.  There is no limit to the number of nominations.  To learn more about the reseach areas, visit the research page.