Federal Agency Announces New Cannabis Research Center To Alleviate Study Barriers, Regulatory Hurdles

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is taking a significant step forward in advancing cannabis research by establishing a Resource Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

The center will serve as a central hub for researchers to access resources, guidance and support to overcome the obstacles that have hindered cannabis research in the past.

The decision to establish this center stems from the growing recognition of the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and its constituents. However, researchers have faced countless challenges in conducting rigorous studies on cannabis due to its classification as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This classification has hampered the development of standardized research protocols.

Milestone For Cannabis Research: The establishment of this center represents a significant milestone in advancing cannabis research by facilitating the development of rigorous scientific evidence on the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis. Some believe cannabis and its properties have the potential to transform the landscape of healthcare and improve the lives of individuals suffering from a wide range of medical conditions.

Focus: The research center will focus on three core components: regulatory guidance, research standards and research support.

To help facilitate that process, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s (NCCIH) Patrick Still announced that the health agency will be holding a webinar on January 25 to provide applicants with technical assistance.

“There’s growing interest in potential therapeutic uses of cannabis and its constituents among both health care providers and the public,” said Still, according to Marijuana Moment, which first reported this story. “Substances in cannabis have a variety of pharmacologic effects, and rigorous research is needed to understand their mechanisms of action and investigate their possible value in helping to manage health conditions.”

The research standards component will focus on enhancing the rigor and reproducibility of cannabis research, including identifying and disseminating information on high-quality research products, developing research standards and metrics for chemical analysis of cannabis products and building a repository of best practices for research methodologies.

The regulatory guidance seeks to streamline the regulatory process by providing a centralized clearinghouse for existing DEA/FDA guidance, organizing regular meetings with regulatory agencies to stay updated on policy changes, and disseminating summaries and updates on policy changes to the research community, noted the outlet.

NCCIH will provide $1 million in total costs for 2025 to fund the center. NIDA and NIA will each contribute $100,000 in co-funding, while NCI will provide $200,000 in co-funding. Separately, NCI recently awarded researchers $3.2 million to study the effects of using cannabis while receiving immunotherapy for cancer treatment.

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