The Canadian government must make it easier to study cannabis, say the country’s top cannabis academics and public health researchers in an open letter to politicians.“Under widespread global prohibition, cannabis research has been limited by the criminalization and stigmatization of cannabis use and users, leading to substantial gaps in knowledge around the harms and benefits of both medical and non-medical cannabis,” reads the letter sent to federal decision-makers on the letterhead of the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use. “For example, although cannabis’ role as a pain reliever is increasingly well known, urgent questions remain about what effect increasing access to medical cannabis might play in the response to the ongoing opioid overdose crisis. Now is the time to ensure biomedical, epidemiological, and social sciences cannabis research is prioritized; supported with adequate funding; and facilitated through reduced administrative barriers.”

Source: Canadian Government Must Make It Easier To Study Cannabis, Say Researchers