US Scientists May Soon Study MJ as a “Natural Medicine”
Despite the ongoing growth and development of MJ reform in the United States and strong public support for legalization, US authorities continue to take every possible measure to restrict research into the therapeutic properties of MJ. However, it is quite possible that government universities and laboratories will soon gain official access to the plant, thanks to a decision by one branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to allow clinical research on MJ as a “natural alternative to pharmaceutical drugs.”
On December 8, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which is part of the NIH, announced the issuance of research grants to study several “natural” medicines, including therapeutic MJ. The center is inviting federal research center employees to participate in studies focused on the effectiveness of THC and three other cannabinoids in pain therapy, as well as the long-term effects of such treatments.
According to the organization’s website, these research projects “will be conducted within the framework of existing laws regarding psychoactive substances.” The site also notes that the center “in no way aims to influence the current regulatory regime for controlled substances through the planned trials. The main goal of these studies is to determine the potentially beneficial effects of the natural products and compounds being studied.”
In any case, the described projects have ambitious goals and objectives. For example, one grant is aimed at identifying and studying the “biological mechanism of action” of various cannabinoid compounds, determining the most therapeutically effective doses, and finding alternative ways to activate the body’s endogenous receptors that respond to these substances. Currently, the institute is inviting interested specialists to submit their research proposals for a competition to select the best project. The organization promises to provide full support to the winning projects in obtaining the necessary permits from the national DEA to work with psychoactive varieties of MJ and their compounds.
It is also worth noting that in most of the proposed grants, the words “MJ” and “cannabinoids” are used rather sparingly, often replaced by phrases like “natural therapeutic product” and “biologically active compounds.” Given these details, it seems the institute has decided to conduct such research without full approval from federal authorities, while trying to conceal the use of MJ and its active substances in the upcoming trials.
Despite limited testing of individual cannabinoids in DEA and US Public Health Service laboratories, it can be said that the NCCIH is the first government organization in the country to openly support unbiased trials aimed at identifying the therapeutic properties and effects of MJ.
Of course, it cannot be said that the DEA, as the main force behind criminalization, is ignoring the noticeable shift in public attitudes toward MJ. For example, earlier this fall, the agency announced its willingness to cooperate with regional licensed MJ producers to manufacture 5,400 pounds of recreational MJ for new trials in the coming year. The latest issue of the Federal Register, dated December 10, reports that this resource will be needed by the agency to conduct further studies to determine the therapeutic properties of MJ and its overall effectiveness in treating various types of chronic and severe illnesses.