California could soon lead the way in CBD research. The state is giving $3 million to the University of California-San Diego for research to further explore potential medicinal values of CBD and other cannabinoids.
The university’s Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) will carry out the work. This funding is split across five separate research projects on the safety and effectiveness of CBD in medical treatments. The medical conditions their research will explore are psychosis, insomnia, rheumatoid arthritis, anorexia and alcoholism.
“Within the medical community, there is a lot of interest in the role of medical cannabis and CBD,” said Igor Grant, CMCR Director, in a statement. “There is a hope that it could be yet another useful agent in some of these conditions.” Grant adds that these five conditions “are difficult to treat or disabling.”
Meanwhile, UCSD is already working on several CBD-related research projects. A $4.7 million donation last year is sparking research on CBD and symptoms of autism in children. In addition, USCD began using $1.8 million from the California Legislature to work on developing a marijuana breathalyzer test.
Other Research Projects
The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill is enabling several other research projects across the country to begin this year. Section 7605 of the bill provides greater protections for hemp research and researchers. Additionally, Section 7501 adds hemp into the Critical Agricultural Materials Act for its potential diversity in applications.
Oregon State University will use a $1 million donation to explore hemp genomics. The research will increase understanding in how hemp can be used in health products, textiles and construction materials. Their work will take place at the university’s new Global Hemp Innovation Center.
This September, The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) granted nine research awards totaling $3 million. The studies will focus on whether CBD and other cannabinoids have pain-relieving properties.
Only one of the studies will involve human participants. However, the NCCIH confirms a second round of grant awards may involve two more studies with humans.