Government Research on Cannabis

 

Research on cannabis is seeing an explosion in the past couple of decades as the plant's vast potential gets discovered or rediscovered. Many governments have initiated research programs on the plant's industrial and medical uses. Some of the leading government research is from Israel, Canada and the USA. Government research is probably a few steps behind industrial and independent scientific research, mostly through universities. The US government research bodies, specifically National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)  are hampered due to federal restrictions, ironically by another government agency, the DEA, and often cite lack of access to enough cannabis varieties to reflect ground realities in society. Some of the new US government agencies promoting research on cannabis appear to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). Research seems to be primarily in the areas of industrial applications of the cannabis plant.

While countries like Canada and Israel seem to have clarity in terms of government research on cannabis, the US continues to show the same bipolar attitude towards cannabis research that it shows towards federal legalization. Having been the global bully that arm-twisted many nations to prohibit cannabis, and having framed the global anti-cannabis laws, it is easy to understand why the US government shows this split-personality behavior when it comes to governmental cannabis research. A large part of the research funding for governmental agencies like NIDA was spent to try to discover the harms of the cannabis plant and thus justify prohibition, an endeavor in which they failed miserably. So on the one hand, we have the NIDA and DEA stating that the federal illegal status of cannabis hampers governmental research, while on the other hand they continue the propaganda that the cannabis plant is harmful and must remain under drug scheduling, despite all the evidence to the contrary. These governmental organizations can easily influence the federal government to revoke federal cannabis prohibition in the US, but they fail to do so, primarily due to the vested interests that fund and back them.

In most parts of the world however little or no government research is happening on the plant and the plant faces the threat of extinction as authorities do all they can to eliminate the plant citing its illegal status. The plant has the potential to be a truly universal medicine that can reduce vast public health costs through its diverse medical applications. The plant has the potential to replace or significantly reduce the harms caused by petrochemical and pharmaceutical to the environment and society. The plant is a potential alternate crop for farmers in places affected by climate change. Building materials, fibres, automobile bodies, super capacitors, animal feed,  insulation, textiles, fabrics, fibers, the list of its industrial applications goes on. Boosting of economies, job creation, hundreds of new businesses are some of the results in places that have legalized cannabis.

There was a time nearly a century ago when the plant was central to human activity. Now governments worldwide need to once again recognize the plant's usefulness and dedicate significant research resources and support so that it can be reintegrated with human society. Cannabis research should be given one of the highest priorities in government research bodies, especially industrial and medical research bodies, along with the necessary funding and infrastructural support. There are powerful lobbies working to defeat this and secure their own interests but governments need to understand the precariousness of the world today and support every possible solution to bring us back to some sort of sustainability. The cannabis plant is one such solution.

Related articles

The following set of articles related to the subject are taken from various media. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article.  

 

 

'The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) issues this Request for Quotes (RFQ) for a firm fixed-price contract for: The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Plant Genetic Resources Unit, in Geneva, NY requires a contractor to supply and deliver a new high tunnel greenhouse. The present structure does not exist and has been constraining PGRU operations for the last 10 years. This structure will be used for the necessary continuing of our operations in the preservation of valuable vegetable and hemp germplasm. The high tunnel greenhouse will be used by the Seeds and Hemp Groups of the Plant Genetic Resources Unit at Geneva, NY.'

https://sam.gov/opp/945de628cf0749499118090d8e384941/view

 

'The Biden administration proposed a change to the federal drug scheduling system on Thursday that it hopes will streamline research into Schedule I controlled substances including marijuana and psychedelics such as psilocybin.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) said in a letter to congressional leaders and a plan posted on the agency’s website that it wants to encourage research in part by simplifying the registration process for scientists to access Schedule I drugs so that they match those for less-restricted Schedule II substances.

This is part of a broader White House initiative to develop what it says is a strategy to reduce the supply of illicit fentanyl analogues, while “protecting civil rights, and reducing barriers to scientific research for all schedule I substances.”'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bidens-drug-czar-wants-to-make-it-easier-to-research-marijuana-psychedelics-and-other-schedule-i-substances/

'When it comes to the war on drugs, there’s no need for further research to prove that such criminalization has disproportionately impacted communities of color, a top federal drug official said in a new interview.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow has on several recent occasions discussed the harms of the drug war and the need to take an alternative approach, in part by decriminalizing substance misuse and promoting treatment through a public health-focused model.'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-federal-drug-official-says-we-dont-need-more-research-to-show-criminalizations-racist-impact/

'Specifically, DOE is interested in the company’s HempWool product, which is described as “the most sustainable, high performing insulation material on the planet.”

Beyond being a non-toxic alternative to traditional insulation, the hemp-based product also has a strong thermal resistance and a low carbon footprint.

“The Department of Energy is interested in the decarbonization potential of insulation and other building materials made from hemp fibers,” Gibbons told HempBuildMag.'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-fund-research-into-hemp-fiber-insulation-as-environmentally-friendly-alternative/

'The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released the short report—titled “Production, Marketing, and Regulation of Hemp Products”—on Tuesday.

It says there are “three leading markets for hemp, each based on the part of the plant used: fiber, seed/grain, and flower.” However, CRS notes that some observers suggest “a separate, marketable category exists for the plant’s extracted compounds” such as CBD oil.

While the report doesn’t contain any particularly novel revelations, it’s another sign of the normalization of cannabis in Congress after hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill.

CRS described the wide range of uses for hemp, including “fabrics and textiles, yarns and spun fibers, paper, carpeting, home furnishings, construction and insulation materials, and biocomposites.”'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressional-report-gives-lawmakers-an-overview-of-hemp-market-and-policy-challenges/

'A new analysis of cannabis research funding in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom has found that $1.56 billion was directed to the topic between 2000 and 2018—with about half of the money spent on understanding the potential harms of the recreational drug. Just over $1 billion came from the biggest funder, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which doled out far more money to research cannabis misuse and its negative effects than on using cannabis and cannabis-derived chemicals as a therapeutic drug'

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/cannabis-research-database-shows-how-us-funding-focuses-harms-drug

'To date, 34 states and the District of Columbia have adopted medical cannabis laws, or MCLs, which legalize either home cultivation or dispensary-based sales of cannabis for qualifying medical conditions.

The researchers want to determine if MCLs alter the health behaviors of people living with chronic pain and whether they substitute or reduce traditional pain treatments while using medical cannabis.

The research project is funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.'
https://news.uga.edu/researchers-to-study-medical-cannabis-and-chronic-pain/


'The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applications to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) of special interest in grant applications to conduct rigorous research on cannabis and potentially addictive, psychoactive prescription drug use (specifically opioids and benzodiazepine) in older adults. This program will focus on two distinct older adult populations (over the age of 50): (1) individuals with earlier use onset of cannabis and the specified drug classes who are now entering older age, or (2) individuals who initiate use of cannabis and the specified drug classes after the age of 50. Insights gained from this initiative have the potential to inform the public and health care systems regarding use of cannabis and prescription opioids and benzodiazepines in older populations.'
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-20-014.html

'Under the proposed update, 1,140,216 grams of marijuana will be needed in 2018 “to provide for the estimated medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs of the United States, for lawful export requirements, and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/in-follow-up-move-dea-wants-more-marijuana-grown-in-2018-as-well/


'The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) isn't exactly known as big fan of marijuana. But in a new Federal Register filing set to be published soon, the anti-drug agency is moving to more than quintuple the amount of cannabis that can legally be grown in the U.S. for research purposes—from roughly 1,000 pounds in 2018 to more than 5,400 pounds next year.'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2018/08/16/dea-wants-more-marijuana-grown-and-fewer-opioids-produced-in-2019-really/#5ede041b14cb


'this study offers a comparison between six cannabinoids from Cannabis produced in four cities in the US and the NIDA supply farm. The data demonstrate that Cannabis produced by NIDA is both less diverse in variety and less potent in the amount of cannabinoids. Because most federally approved research requires the use of government produced Cannabis, this mismatch between what the public is using and what is available to researchers limits scientific study on the potential harms or benefits.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep46528


'Why Israel? There are at least nine good reasons why the tiny country of 8 million people is filling the void left by other major powers. If you’re an American interested in cannabis research, technology, or entrepreneurship, these explanations should make you question (and fight) the policies that have allowed the United States and others to fall behind.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/8-reasons-israel-capital-cannabis-research


'Grant research will build upon Columbia Care’s pilot data demonstrating that 62% of neuropathy patients decreased or stopped opioid use while taking Columbia Care’s dose-metered cannabinoid medicines'
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/10/31/1639975/0/en/Columbia-University-Receives-National-Institute-on-Drug-Abuse-NIDA-Research-Grant-to-Study-Impact-of-Medical-Cannabis-on-Opioid-Use-in-Collaboration-with-Columbia-Care.html


'This FOA responds to the need for rapid responses to emerging policy changes and phenomena that affect the delivery and/or effectiveness of prevention and treatment services related to addiction care (in particular prescription drug use), HIV care, and the criminal justice setting. The FOA provides a mechanism for accelerated review and award to support opportunities for this type of initial feasibility and pilot research.'
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-064.html


'It’s going to be a weighty task for any interested parties. There are more than 110 known cannabinoids and 120 terpenes, very few of which have been extensively studied. The federal research project will cover all “minor cannabinoids,” which is defined as anything other than THC, according to a pair of funding notices published by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health this week.

“The mechanisms and processes underlying potential contribution of minor cannabinoids and terpenes to pain relief and functional restoration in patients with different pain conditions may be very broad,” the notices state. “This initiative encourages interdisciplinary collaborations by experts from multiple fields—pharmacologists, chemists, physicists, physiologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, endocrinologists, immunologists, geneticists, behavioral scientists, clinicians, and others in relevant fields of inquiry.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/the-feds-want-researchers-to-study-minor-cannabinoids-and-terpenes-in-marijuana/


'The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has awarded $2.7 million in grant funding for two research studies to investigate the potential therapeutic uses of marijuana.Both research studies are random controlled trials, the type of research considered to be the “gold standard” in the scientific community. One study will research marijuana as a treatment for chronic spine pain and will evaluate its use as a therapy to reduce prescription opioid use. The other will research the efficacy and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) to treat children with autism spectrum disorder.'
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/news/MMJ-grants


'Federally funded research into marijuana seems to be escalating, with one government agency recently posting a roundup of current “cannabinoid-related funding opportunities” for studies investigating the plant’s therapeutic potential.

On Saturday, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) shared a list of four research grant opportunities for studies on “natural products” like cannabis. One would examine how cannabinoids other than THC affect pain and three others call for more broad clinical trials of natural products involving human participants.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-call-for-even-more-marijuana-research-after-hosting-cannabis-workshop/


'“Early clinical data suggest that cannabis may enhance the potency of opioids in relieving pain; and the synergy from using these products together may result in more effective pain relief with lower doses of opioids,” the agency wrote. “Yet, it is unclear which components of cannabis may have these properties. In particular, few studies have examined whether and which cannabinoids and/or terpenes interact with the opioid pain pathways.”

NCCIH, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, said that of particular interest are studies looking at cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC), nyrcene, ß-caryophyllene, Limonene, a-terpineol, linalool, a-phellandrene, a-pinene, ß-pinene, ?-terpinene and a-humulene.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-to-spend-1-5-million-on-research-into-marijuanas-lesser-known-components/


'NIDA’s director of the division of extramural research, Dr. Susan Weiss, included a slide in her presentation that laid out administrative and scientific “cannabis research barriers.” On the administrative level, that includes the “complex and lengthy registration process” required for researchers interested in studying the plant, the lack of alternative sources for research-grade marijuana and the ongoing Schedule I status of “non-intoxicating components of cannabis” such as CBD.

Dr. Emmeline Edwards, the director of the division of extramural research for NCCIH, echoed some of those points in her presentation.

“Despite marijuana being ‘legal’ in some states, the federal government has not legalized cannabis and continues to enforce restrictive policies and regulations,” one slide states. Edwards also discussed marijuana’s Schedule I status and the limited supply of research-grade cannabis from NIDA, which does “not sufficiently reflect the variety of products used by consumers.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-officials-recognize-how-marijuanas-legal-status-inhibits-research-documents-show/


'A delegation of Chinese businessmen and academic researchers in the fields of technology and agriculture is set to arrive in Israel next week, to meet with Israeli cannabis researchers. The delegation is also set to meet with Israeli companies in the domain, especially pharmaceutical companies and those developing technological innovations in the field of cannabis.

Israel is considered a leader when it comes to medical cannabis-related research, with both the government and the academia actively participating in the domain for decades.

Raphael Mechoulam, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was the first person to identify the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, THC.'
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3753688,00.html


'In a letter addressed to Attorney General William Barr, the American Psychological Association (APA) is requesting that the Department of Justice immediately evaluate the more than two dozen applications for cannabis cultivation licenses that stalled under his predecessor Jeff Sessions.

“The scientific community is eager to advance cannabis research on both the harmful and therapeutic effects of cannabis and its derivatives,” APA President Arthur Evans Jr. wrote on Wednesday.

“Without access to an expanded range of cannabis products engineered under [Food and Drug Administration]-approved Good Manufacturing Practices, scientific research cannot hope to keep pace with the ever-expanding recreational and medicinal cannabis marketplace.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/scientists-push-attorney-general-to-end-marijuana-research-logjam/


Doing research and making pharmaceutical drugs using marijuana is fine. It is also most important to legalize recreational use nationwide immediately to benefit all the patients who are suffering tremendously, to benefit persons who prefer marijuana instead of alcohol and tobacco for recreational use and possibly save their lives, to benefit farmers and entrepreneurs, to release lakhs of persons who are in prison for the plant, to aid in research by protecting and making many Indian varieties of the plant available for research, to enable researchers to see in real time the effects of marijuana on the Indian population without the need for expensive time consuming clinical trails on humans and animals, to get testimony from people willing to speak about their usage openly with legalization. Leverage studies already done worldwide. Too much time has been lost and too much plant destruction.

'Three major science administrators in India — the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Indian Council for Medical Research and the Department of Biotechnolgy — are getting together to promote research in herbal drugs, some of which involve deriving new drugs from marijuana.'
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/india-to-study-drugs-derived-from-marijuana/article25582534.ece


'“A growing body of literature suggests that the cannabis plant has pain-relieving properties; however, as a schedule I substance with known psychoactive effects, research on the potential pain-relieving properties of cannabis has been slow,” the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) said in a budget justification document published on Wednesday.

NCCIH supports studies into non-conventional medicines and therapies that can be used as an alternative or supplement to traditional treatments for a variety of conditions, but the president’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget would cut its funding by about $20 million, the agency said in the new overview.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-health-agency-blames-schedule-i-for-slow-marijuana-research-and-commits-to-fund-studies/


Why is marijuana still in Schedule 1 status? Protecting the public is a hollow argument with regard to marijuana when tobacco, opioids and alcohol are freely available. Does keeping marijuana in Schedule 1 status benefit a limited set of entities including federal agencies like NIDA in terms of funding and exclusive control over research?

'“Indeed, the moment that a drug gets a Schedule I, which is done in order to protect the public so that they don’t get exposed to it, it makes research much harder,” Volkow said during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. “This is because [researchers] actually have to through a registration process that is actually lengthy and cumbersome.”

Another problem, Volkow said, is that access to Schedule I drugs for research purposes is limited. There’s only one federally authorized manufacturer of research-grade cannabis in the U.S., for example, which has frustrated lawmakers and scientists alike.

“This is something that we’ve worked with with cannabis. It’s a perfect example, marijuana.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-federal-drug-policy-expert-says-marijuanas-schedule-i-status-inhibits-research/


Remove cannabis from Schedule 1 federal status to bring about normalization in cannabis research.

'“Our genetic investigation adds to this previous research, indicating that the genetic makeup of NIDA Cannabis is also distinctive from commercially available medical and recreational Cannabis,” they wrote. “To our knowledge, this is the first genetic study to include research-grade marijuana from NIDA, and its placement with hemp samples was unexpected.”

The findings raise concerns about the results of federally approved marijuana research that has relied on the NIDA supply. If the research concerned individual components of cannabis such as THC and CBD, the samples might be useful, but study participants who consume the NIDA varieties may be experiencing different effects than patients and consumers that get their marijuana from dispensaries.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federally-produced-marijuana-is-closer-to-hemp-than-commercial-cannabis-study-shows/


'Prof Dedi Meiri is the head of the world’s leading cannabis lab in the Technion. In TEDxTelAviv he showed us how they beat cancer with drugs, so world leaders come to his lab to watch the wonder. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ioJbVyNg08