Research on cannabis is stifled.
Scientific research on the health effects of cannabis has advanced little in recent years, because there are huge barriers to studying the drug.
Since cannabis is classified as a Schedule I substance, researchers often can’t get it for studies. Even if they can, they contend with all kinds of tight regulations.
The White House Office of National Drug Policy isn’t allowed to study the impacts of legalizing cannabis, even though it’s already happened in many states.
Earlier this year, the DEA proposed reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III drug, like ketamine — one with recognized medical uses, low to moderate potential for abuse, and fewer restrictions.
The report also recommends that Congress remove the restrictions on research for the Office of National Drug Policy.
Cannabis can be dangerous but people hear more about its benefits than risks
People tend to think that cannabis is less dangerous once it’s been legalized, Hurd says.
But many people have not been fully informed of the potential harms. “The risks associated with THC consumption— psychosis, suicidal ideation, cannabis use disorder — those increase as the dose increases,” Hurd says.
More kids and young adults are now seeing pro-cannabis messages through advertising, and the cannabis industry lobby is increasingly influential — successful in swatting down efforts to limit THC concentration in Washington, for instance, or to limit pesticide use on cannabis farms in Colorado, according to the report.
“We really need to approach cannabis with a public health framework,” Dr. Pamela Ling, director of the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, wrote in an email after reviewing the report at NPR’s request.
“The good news is we don’t have to start from scratch. We have models from best practices from tobacco control and alcohol that can be applied to cannabis — particularly regarding marketing restrictions, age restrictions, the retail environment, taxation, and ways to decrease youth access,” she says.
The report also recommends public health campaigns that describe the risks, especially for kids and young adults, those who are pregnant and the elderly. And it calls for training cannabis retail staff to talk knowledgeably about the risks and benefits to customers.
