Marijuana Misinformation

The cannabis that’s used for research in the United States is genetically different to the stuff people are smoking, says a recent study¹. The finding suggests that research investigating the plant’s biological effects might not completely replicate the experience of people using commercially available strains ― something researchers have long suspected.

Scientists studying cannabis in the United States must source it from the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi in University. The facility holds the only licence from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to grow and distribute cannabis for research purposes, and it has a contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to give researchers access to its products.

Critics have long complained that NIDA’s pot is weaker than strains typically sold in dispensaries in states where the drug is now legal, or available on the street. The agency’s strongest variety contains more than 10% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical responsible for marijuana’s ‘high’. Some street varieties contain more than 20% THC.

The DEA, which licenses labs to buy and study illegal drugs, announced in 2016 that it would allow other institutions to apply for permission to grow marijuana for research. According to news reports, dozens of applications have since been submitted. But the DEA hasn’t yet approved any of them, leaving scientists to source research strains from NIDA.

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