National Institute on Drug Abuse to fund studies on legal marijuana

NIDA seeks to characterize the composition/potency, the pattern of use, and methods of administration of cannabis products

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the lead federal agency supporting scientific research on drug use and its consequences, is promoting federally funded research in cannabis expressing interest in studies on differing cannabis regulatory models and consumption patterns across the U.S., reported Marijuana Moment.

On Friday, the agency issued a notice of interest with instructions for researchers on how to apply for funding.

“Policies around cannabis products (including whole-plant cannabis and cannabis constituent compounds) in the United States (and globally) continue to evolve, and far outpace the knowledge needed to determine the public health impacts of these changes,” the notice says.

“Growing numbers of states have loosened restrictions on cannabis, including those on sales and use, bypassing medical marijuana laws or by making cannabis legal for adult recreational use, and in increasing numbers, states have done both.

In 2018 NIDA sought input from a National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse (NACDA) workgroup to identify cannabis policy research areas with the greatest urgency and potential for impact.

Areas of programmatic interest to NIDA include developing standards for measuring cannabis and cannabis constituents (including THC, CBD, other cannabinoids and terpenes) dose, intoxication, and/or impairment, and enhancing existing epidemiology research to study trends for cannabis product use and cannabis use disorder (CUD); including new products (e.g. delta-8 THC products), patterns of use, and reasons for use in different populations.

NIDA seeks to characterize the composition/potency, the pattern of use, and methods of administration of cannabis products, including whole-plant cannabis, cannabis extracts/concentrates, and varying cannabis constituents (e.g. cannabinoids or terpenes), as well as how those factors impact physical and mental health.

In addition, the agency is interested in exploring the impact of polysubstance use on health outcomes, investigating how cannabis industry practices — including research on marketing, taxes, and prices — impact health and exploring the heterogeneity of regulatory schemes to understand which combinations of components minimize harm to public health.

The notice applies to due dates on or after June 5, 2022, and subsequent receipt dates through May 5, 2025.