In one of the latest signs that the federal government is recognizing the reality of the cannabis legalization movement’s continued success, a top health agency released an extensive list of cannabis-related research objectives it hopes to fund.
The notice, published on Wednesday, notes the rapid evolution of cannabis policies in the U.S. and globally, which is “far outpacing the knowledge needed to determine and minimize the public health impacts of these changes.”
“A growing number of states have loosened restrictions on cannabis, including those on sales and use, by passing medical cannabis laws or by making cannabis legal for adult recreational use, and in some cases, states have done both,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) wrote.
It also referenced a 2018 report from a cannabis policy working group that was tasked with identifying “cannabis policy research areas with the greatest urgency and potential for impact.”
Evidently, there are quite a few areas that fit that description, as NIDA listed 13 research objectives of “programmatic interest.” And while the agency has previously called for studies into several areas that are featured on the notice, there are others that signal NIDA is evolving in its understanding of research needs as more states opt to legalize.
Read more at marijuanamoment.net