Louisiana State University's first medical marijuana-related research dollars are paying for work aimed at treating epilepsy.

GB Sciences, the contractor hired by the LSU AgCenter to grow therapeutic cannabis, provides $500,000 annually for marijuana-related studies, on top of its other payments to the university agricultural facility.

The first research dollars from the contract will help finance ongoing studies done by AgCenter researcher Chris Green. He's using zebrafish to help develop treatments for people who have epileptic seizures.

The AgCenter says Green will expand that work to study the possibility of using parts of the cannabis plant to treat epilepsy. He'll use compounds extracted from the plant flowers and buds that don't produce the marijuana "high" caused by THC.

Medical marijuana is under production in Louisiana and hasn’t yet reached patients.