national institute of drug abuse Archives

U.S. Scientists Can Soon Run Experiments on Stronger Cannabis than Previously Allowed, Says NIDA

March 17, 2015

By Arielle Duhaime-Ross, The Verge

Scientists who study medical marijuana will soon have access to a wider variety of strains. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) — the federal “dealer” that supplies the drug to scientists — has received numerous complaints from researchers that the drug they supply is too weak compared with what’s sold on the streets, legal or otherwise. But the complaints aren’t responsible for the change, Nature reports. NIDA’s willingness to expand the types of plants available to researchers is tied to the fact that legal marijuana is becoming increasingly available.

Study: Teen Cannabis Use Declines Despite States Continuing to Legalize

December 16, 2014

The 2014 Monitoring the Future study, conducted by the University of Michigan and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, was released Tuesday morning. The annual survey of 40,000 8th-graders, 10th-graders and 12th-graders found that, despite increasing efforts to legalize the substance, teen cannabis use is on the decline.

According to the study, teens reporting lifetime use of cannabis dropped in 2014 by 1.4 percent, teens reporting monthly use of cannabis dropped by 1.2 percent, and teens reporting daily cannabis use dropped by .7%. Overall, the survey found that roughly 30% of teens have used cannabis in their lifetimes, with about 14% saying they’ve consumed cannabis in the previous month.

U.S. Government Funding $1.86 Million Study in Attempt to Link Cannabis to Domestic Violence

August 25, 2013August 25, 2013

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is funding a nearly $2 million study in an attempt to find a link between cannabis consumption, and domestic violence: We have little doubt that it’s going to backfire, and conclude that cannabis reduces violence among partners.

For the study, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is granting the University of Buffalo $1.86 million to conduct 4 years of research; the study will be titled Proximal Effects of Marijuana in Understanding Intimate Partner Violence.