Ongoing NCCIH Opportunities for Scientists Researching Cannabis | NCCIH

Ongoing NCCIH Opportunities for Scientists Researching Cannabis | NCCIH

Ongoing NCCIH Opportunities for Scientists Researching Cannabis April 2, 2020 David Shurtleff, Ph.D. Managing pain effectively is a major challenge, in part because our current drug-based treatments, particularly opioid medications, carry risks such as adverse events and substance misuse. NCCIH has been expanding its efforts to support discovery and strengthen the evidence on novel, nonaddictive natural products, in the contexts of pain, opioid use disorder, and other pain-related comorbidities. Today, I’d like to discuss NCCIH’s recent funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) and related activities pertaining to cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis herb (marijuana). The cannabis plant is a unique source of phytochemicals, including more than 100 cannabinoids and terpenes, each with its own pharmacology. So far, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been the most studied, but others such as cannabidiol (CBD) are also intriguing. While public interest in and use of cannabis and its derivatives has accelerated, the evidence lags behind. One example of a research question is whether the potential pain-relieving properties of cannabis can be separated from its psychoactive properties.

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