Is Cannabis Research On the Way Up?

The marijuana market has undoubtedly seen a massive boom over the course of the past few years. One of the major benefits of this has been the changing of legislation across the board in places like Canada and various states throughout the U.S. Although it is still federally legal in the U.S. and many places around the world, the new market has opened up a large amount of opportunity for those looking to research the substance.

One of the issues with lacking laws to allow marijuana’s use is the fact that it makes it extremely difficult to study. For a drug with so much potential to treat everything from cancer to insomnia, one would think that research would be one of the priorities.

Researching the substance however has been extremely difficult for those looking to find new medicines and cures for many of the most popular ailments we face on a daily basis. Although this may seem bleak, studies are showing that the popularity of cannabis around the world is allowing for the destigmatization of the substance on a broad scale.

Speaking solely about the U.S., cannabis has largely been considered a taboo substance for much of the countries history in the past hundred years. Ironically, when America was founded, the production of hemp was one of the major agricultural substrates on which the country survived. George Washington famously had fields full of hemp adorning his backyard which helps to beg the question of why cannabis is still so highly illegal.

The good news is that legalization in many states throughout the U.S. has made it easier than ever to research marijuana and gain funding to do so. One of the places leading the charge for this type of research has been Canada. Back on October 17th, the nation became the first G7 country to begin selling marijuana for adult or recreational purposes.

Marijuana companies have stated that their is a tremendous need for those who are qualified to research marijuana as well as studies conducted on how the plant can help so many different diseases. Interestingly enough, the Canadian government has been working to add funding to the cannabis research field. The Canadian Institute of Health Research announced that they would be offering $1.4 million in funding for several cannabis-related products, and has since helped to almost double that in grant opportunities for scientists working in the field.

One scientist stated that “What I think, really is changing is the number of people who are now ready to apply for those funds and are interested in doing this research.” The introduction of cannabis-based stock trading on a wide scale has also helped to bring in not only funding but a new sense of notoriety into the industry.

This much needed positive publicity is working to begin allowing the marijuana market to flourish in the modern day. The next few years will remain extremely instrumental in working to build new medicines and new ways to heal those affected by so many different medical complications.