Canada’s Scientists Set Free to Research Marijuana

The Canadian government is funding 14 new marijuana studies with millions of dollars set aside for them, thanks to the nation’s recent legalization of marijuana. Canadian researchers will finally be able to conduct in-depth studies on the effects of marijuana on the body and brain.

Some large-scale trials have already started accepting applicants, according to The New York Times. One of the open trials looks to see how well marijuana works for chemotherapy-induced nausea. Another looks to see how it works for epilepsy. The government is even funding a study to see if marijuana really works to get people off of opioids.

“Marijuana’s hard-won return to the Canadian mainstream suggests that psychoactive plants matter to modern lives and will continue to shape human culture,” biologist Jonathan Page said. “Prohibition was just a blip on the timeline of civilization and a dark age for science.”

Over 130 companies have been approved to create products for the studies. Hundreds more are awaiting approval. Higher education facilities and nonprofit organizations are looking to the marijuana industry to fund additional studies that may be controversial.

Canada is setting itself up to lead the world in marijuana research. The quality of medical marijuana cultivated in Canada is desired by researchers around the world.

With the restrictions on research lifted in Canada, science may finally be able to provide concrete data regarding the true efficacy of marijuana for numerous medical conditions.