The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has posted a request for information titled, “Investigators’ interests in and barriers to research studies on the health effects of cannabis and its constituents,” hoping to help “strengthen the scientific evidence” of the plant’s therapeutic potential, reports Marijuana Moment.
NIH said that eight of its component agencies are partnering on the new initiative to solicit information about research barriers such as the ongoing Schedule I status of marijuana and limitations on the types of products available for use in clinical trials.
The agency acknowledged that the majority of states have adopted medical cannabis programs for patients with various conditions, but said there is “often inadequate scientific research to support the benefit of their intended use” in those states.
Examples of reported research barriers included a lack of experience with state and federal regulations for marijuana studies, “unforeseen costs and effort” to obtain research licenses, the “availability of and access to appropriate cannabis and cannabis products/constituents”—