NIDA decides to fund more research on cannabis legalization! Yes, the NIDA!

US drug agencies want more information about cannabis

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the leading federal agency responsible for research into drugs, including cannabis, and their possible effects, has just expressed interest in federally funded studies into the various methods of use and regulatory frameworks in the United States.

Late last month, they released a note with instructions that interested researchers can use when applying for funding. “Policy on cannabis products (including whole plant and cannabis constituent cannabis) in the United States (and worldwide) is evolving and far exceeds the knowledge needed to determine the public health implications of these changes,” it said it in the message.

“More and more states have relaxed cannabis restrictions, including sales and use restrictions, by circumventing medical marijuana laws or legalizing cannabis for adult recreational use, and more states have done both,” they wrote.

This new announcement from NIDA is promising to say the least, as it’s high time the federal government took cannabis legalization seriously.

focal points

NIDA is particularly interested in research that will achieve certain things. First, the development of standards for dosing and impairment of marijuana.

In May 2021, they announced that a standard THC dose had been discovered. It was a “new requirement to measure and report results using a standard THC unit in research of all applicable human subjects” that they said would take effect immediately. This dose is 5 mg of THC. They added that inconsistencies in measuring THC exposure “constituted a major limitation in cannabis use studies, making it difficult to compare results from different studies.” Since then, however, there hasn’t been a standard dose for CBD, terpenes, or other cannabinoids.

They also want more studies analyzing the different methods of cannabis use as well as potency. In addition, they see the importance of further studies on composition, what happens when cannabis use is mixed with other drugs, various practices in the cannabis industry such as taxes, marketing and pricing, regulations and more – as well as their impact on human health.

Why is this a big deal?

The fact that NIDA is releasing this makes it clear that they know legalization is inevitable, coming from a federal agency.

Additionally, last year in 2018, they solicited feedback from the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse (NACDA), an organization working to identify the areas on which cannabis policy research should focus, particularly those that are urgent and will have an immediate impact. It’s no secret that federal agencies are moving at icy speed when it comes to legalizing cannabis at the federal level.

Things might change this year, but we’re not holding our breath.

A recent Gallup poll found that 68% of Americans support marijuana legalization, and those numbers continue to rise every year. If the majority supports this, then there are more reasons than ever for companies to invest in cannabis. People are already adopting herbal medicines for pain relief, so in a few years smoking a vape in public could be as socially acceptable as drinking a beer in public.

However, many people are still unaware of cannabis. Despite its widespread use, most people do their own research on cannabis, as even doctors are left in the dark when it comes to advising patients on how to dose it. Certain standards are necessary because lives depend on them.

There’s another perspective as well: growing interest in cannabis research, such as what just happened with NIDA. This is also important: Before 1999 there were less than 5,000 published studies on cannabis, but after cannabis reform, more than 3,500 peer-reviewed scientific papers were published in 2020 alone.

Additionally, NIDA has focused its research on the negative effects of cannabis for far too long. But they can no longer deny the health benefits of cannabis, particularly for its anti-inflammatory properties, as it can treat epilepsy, depression, pain and more. NIDA plays a key role in changing federal policy. Scientists have long had to face the major obstacle of using cannabis from NIDA sources and only testing it in small experiments with a small subject size. If cannabis can be tested on larger populations, it will help determine safety and efficacy with greater confidence, leading to broader public acceptance of the drug.

It’s also good to note that it took the federal government over 50 years to remove the barriers to marijuana research. In 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced that they would FINALLY allow American companies to apply for and register the cultivation of cannabis for scientific and medical purposes.

Since cannabis is still a Schedule 1 substance as of this writing, putting it in the same categories as LSD and heroin, even states that have legalized it in one form or another are operating with limited information. We still have far less information about cannabis compared to various dietary supplements on the market, many of which are sold without regulation or real health claims – and pose risks to humans. What makes it worse is that buying tobacco and alcohol is a lot easier than accessing marijuana for medicine. Damn it, even police officers don’t yet know how to determine the levels affecting cannabis users on the road.

All of these small steps matter, and we hope to see big strides in cannabis policy reform this year, especially from federal agencies like NIDA.

WHAT IS THE NIDA, READ MORE…

A LOOK INTO THE MIND OF NORA VOLKOV, THE HEAD OF NIDA

OR..

THE NIDA NOW SAYS OCCASIONAL MARIJUANA USE IS NOT HARMFUL!