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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.”

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.

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

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