DENVER (AP) — A research center at Colorado State University dedicated to studying the chemical compounds in hemp is expected to open this spring, school officials said Thursday.

The announcement comes after the university received a $1.5 million donation from a Golden-based company that makes products out of CBD, a popular cannabis compound with unproven health claims. The money would be used to fund research, cover operating costs and purchase equipment, university officials said.

The facility would allow faculty and undergraduate and graduate students to study the formulation of cannabinoid...