Cannabis Research Continues to Expand and Diversify: This report was published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in August 2023. (Source: NIH)

Indeed, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been expanding and diversifying its research on cannabis¹². The NIH supports a broad portfolio of research on cannabis and cannabis constituents and related compounds, as well as the endocannabinoid system². Specific topics of interest vary among Institutes, Centers, and Offices, but overall the research portfolio includes studies investigating the whole or parts of the Cannabis sativa plant, cannabis extracts or enriched extracts, cannabinoid compounds extracted and derived from cannabis extracts, non-cannabinoid constituents of cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids, and the components of the endocannabinoid system².

In August 2023, the NIH-funded study showed that past-year use of marijuana and hallucinogens by adults 35 to 50 years old continued a long-term upward trajectory to reach all-time highs in 2022¹. Among younger adults aged 19 to 30, reports of past-year marijuana and hallucinogen use as well as marijuana and nicotine vaping significantly increased in the past five years, with marijuana use and vaping at their highest historic levels for this age group in 2022¹.

The NIH’s research efforts aim to examine the chemical, physiological, and therapeutic properties of cannabinoids and the physiological systems they affect². This research is crucial for understanding the potential therapeutic uses of cannabis and its constituent compounds².

As research continues to advance, we can expect to gain a deeper understanding of cannabis’s potential as a safe and effective treatment option for various conditions².

Learn more:

1. nida.nih.gov2. nccih.nih.gov3. nida.nih.gov4. nida.nih.gov5. nccih.nih.gov