Pennsylvania Becomes First State to Permit Cannabis Research at Medical Schools
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Thursday, April 29 the Pennsylvania Department of Health released the application guidelines for schools that are looking to conduct medical research on cannabis. The department also authorized 13 more medical cannabis cultivators and 23 dispensaries in “The Keystone State.” Currently, no other states have programs allowing for medical schools to conduct research on medical cannabis. Both Ohio and Florida have considered such programs, but have yet to implement them.
The move is especially notable considering that Pennsylvania just welcomed its first medical cannabis dispensary this past January. Due to its federal status as a Schedule I drug, there has been little research done in the past on cannabis. Federal laws can often make it difficult to obtain new and current information on the various benefits cannabis has the potential of providing.This past January United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo, which previously prevented funding from being used by federal prosecutors to go after states with legal cannabis.
Yet as long-standing stigmas fade away and public support grows, researchers may finally be given the chance to thoroughly study the complexities of the cannabis plant.
While Pennsylvania only approved medical cannabis in 2016, it could soon be the state leading the way in a transformative understanding of medical cannabis. Since the announcement, a handful of schools have already made steps to bring research to their campuses.
“We believe that the research will be of great importance in determining the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis products in treating specific diseases,” a representative from the University of Pittsburgh wrote in a statement. Other schools interested include Penn Medicine, The University of the Sciences and Drexel University. Applicants can expect approvals within the month and will then have the opportunity to collaborate with authorized dispensaries and growers.
