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National Institute on Drug Abuse Updates Website, Now has “Marijuana as Medicine” Page

March 16, 2017March 16, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

**The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has made some small but impactful changes to their website’s page on medical marijuana.**

Prior to the change, NIDA had a page on their website titled Is Marijuana Medicine? The page has now been updated with several changes, including a change in title; it is now referred to as simply Marijuana as Medicine, without the question mark. This is a small change, but an important one.

In addition to a change in title, there were multiple other changes made to the page. Below are the seven biggest changes, pointed out by Westword;

National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Says Cannabidiol is Safe and Nonaddictive

July 31, 2015July 30, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. — Nora Volkow.

Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), says that cannabidiol (CBD) – a compound found in cannabis – is “a safe drug with no addictive effects.” The comments were made in an op-ed for The Huffington Post.

“[P]reliminary data suggest that [cannabidiol] may have therapeutic value for a number of medical conditions”, says Volkow.

Volkow notes that “Studies related to its possible use in the treatment of substance use disorders are being funded by NIDA, while other NIH [National Institute of Health] Institutes are funding work on the potential of CBD and other cannabinoids in treating neurological and psychiatric disorders, disorders of the immune system and metabolism, and cancer.”

Senators Push Feds to Ease Restrictions on Cannabis Research

July 14, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

By Sarah Ferris, TheHill.com

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wants to make it easier for government-paid researchers to study marijuana – and not just its negative side effects.

Eight Democratic senators, led by Warren, are urging federal health and drug officials to address the “data shortfall” on potential health benefits of medical marijuana by making it easier for researchers to study the drug.

National Institute on Drug Abuse Says Cannabis Kills Cancer Cells

April 6, 2015April 4, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a government-run research institute with a budget of over $1 billion, has admitted that cannabis can kill certain cancer cells, and reduces the size of others.

A publication from NIDA, revised as of April 2015 and titled Drug Facts, states that “recent animal studies have shown that marijuana can kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others.” It notes that; “Evidence from one animal study suggests that extracts from whole-plant marijuana can shrink one of the most serious types of brain tumors”, and that; “Research in mice showed that these extracts, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation.”

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

March 17, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

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.

New NIDA Study: THC Blood Levels Do Not Accurately Measure Intoxication

July 31, 2015February 25, 2014 by Anthony Martinelli

A new study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse has offered revealing information on the perceived correlation between cannabis consumption rates and THC blood concentration levels.

Researchers examined the blood and plasma levels of both frequent and occasional cannabis consumers, before and after smoking. Frequent and occasional smokers resided on a closed research unit and smoked one 6.8% THC cannabis cigarette. Blood and plasma cannabinoids were quantified on admission (approximately 19 hours before), 1 hour before, and up to 15 times (0.5–30 hours) after smoking.

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

August 25, 2013August 25, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

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.