Canadian Cannabis Research Different from US
Canadian Cannabis Research Studies Endocannabinoid System While American Focus is on Cannabis Harms – LPC
Canadian cannabis research tends to focus on the benefits of the endocannabinoid system, a new analysis of funding has shown. Meanwhile, the focus of cannabis research in the US tends to be understanding harms. The US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) contributed $1 billion US “to research cannabis misuse and its negative effects”.
“The (US) government’s budget is a political statement about what we value as a society,” said Daniel Mallinson. He’s a cannabis policy researcher at Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg who reviewed the funding analysis for the journal Science. (Please see link to full article below.) “The fact that most of the cannabis money (in the US) is going to drug abuse and probably to cannabis use disorder versus medical purposes says something.”
Recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance for research reinforce that, treating non-medical cannabis as a drug.
In Canada on the other hand, companies like Zyus Life Sciences are searching for cannabis benefits and side-effects. Scientists on both sides of the border agree that cannabis research is a public health priority.
But the numbers are much different too. According to the analysis, Canadian cannabis research amounted to only US$32.2 million from 2000-2019 while the US spent $1.5 billion. Although the numbers seem low in Canada, it’s clear that doctors in Canada want more cannabis research – something that could benefit the whole world.
This editorial content from the LPC News Team provides analysis, insight, and perspective on current news articles. To read the source article this commentary is based upon, please click on the link below. Are you part of the legal cannabis industry in Canada? Add Your Listing and get found by your potential customers.
