US Government promises more cannabis and cannabinoid research for the future
With the legalization of recreational marijuana quickly reaching the United States borders, it appears that Congress has made some much needed to change to both laws surrounding the cultivation and cannabis and cannabinoid research. The following is a list of several changes that Americans and Canadians have been watching closely for.
Changing Laws Surrounding the Cultivation of Industrial Hemp
On December 18, 2018, the United States House of Representatives voted to approve an $867 billion-dollar bill referred to as the farm bill. It passed to make it to the Senate by a landslide with 369 voting for approval and 47 who voted against it. Once the bill was presented to the Senate is was once again overwhelmingly endorsed with votes coming in at 87 for support and 13 who remained opposed. While most of the bill covers struggling already established farmers, this new bill also includes the legalization of hemp farms and operations. The long-awaited motion is said to have paved the way for a potentially explosive cannabis market over the next few years.
The Farm Bill officially makes growing industrial hemp a legal agricultural industry. Hemp legislation will allow for each state to be responsible for regulating the cultivation of industrial hemp and will enable both individuals and companies to apply for federal grants. It will also help to aid new growers in obtaining insurance for their crop. All of which translates to an expected boom of an additional 20 billion dollars to the economy by the year 2022.
NCCIH Depression Studies and Pain Management Budget Request
The research performed and supported by NCCIH is based on trying to understand the role of the human brain in perceiving, managing, and modifying pain. NCCIH long-term goal is to improve clinical understanding and management of both pain and depression. They most recently discovered an entirely new class of nerve related cells that all respond to intense mechanical stimulation to determine the efficiency of cannabis and cannabinoids when managing pain and other symptoms in patients.
The request for funding was approved. This means that the NCCIH will be partnering with DOD (Department of Defense), and VA (Department of Veterans Affairs). This initiative is called NIH and will address the apparent need for a better understanding of cannabis and cannabinoid research to advance and update current practices for pain and mental health management. The project has been promised a minimum of two years’ worth of funding and may be extended for up to ten years based on results.
Cannabinoid Research Institute
The cannabinoid research institute of the united states consists of several agencies inducing NCCIH or NIH. Many of these organizations have been promised substantial funding over the next year including research on the therapeutic properties of cannabinoids with 70 focusing on Cannabis and THC, and 26 of them being solely on CBD. In 2017 these companies received 140 Million dollars with a dramatic drop of almost $20 million difference for 2018. However, 2019 looks to be rather exciting with a total of 200 million dollars that will be divided among the individual groups within the NIH for 2019.
While the Cannabinoid Research Institute still has a ways to go, it appears that the United States is well on track to encouraging clinical research on cannabis and cannabinoids for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Now to see how the individual states decide to restrict and regulate marijuana and its use in the future.
