An impressive $3 million will be invested into CBD research, following the approval of a grant by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The money will be funneled into numerous studies exploring the pain-relieving effects of the cannabis plant’s non-psychoactive primary cannabinoid cannabidiol, better known as CBD.

Funded by the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the government-funded CBD research initiative will not explore the therapeutic benefits of cannabis’ psychoactive compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

Unlike THC, CBD is not a mind-altering substance. A total of nine studies into CBD’s therapeutic potential will take place.

“The science is lagging behind the public use and interest. We’re doing our best to catch up here,” said NCCIH’s deputy director, Dr. David Shurtleff, in a released statement. “These new projects will investigate substances from cannabis that don’t have THC’s disadvantages, looking at their basic biological activity and their potential mechanisms of action as pain relievers.”

Shurtleff says the THC has been explored intensely in the past for its potential to cause dependence. For this reason, he says that THC cannot be considered as a pain treatment.

Government-funded CBD research provided to two universities

The University of California San Francisco and the University of Utah will be on the receiving end of a CBD research grant. According to the Associated Press, receiving $3 million is a positive repercussion of the 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report.

The two-year-old report urged for more health-focused cannabis research to commence. CBD producers will benefit from the forthcoming studies, since they would encourage more customers to try CBD. 

Public health is at risk due to previous lack of government-funded CBD research

Until now, federal restrictions have hindered CBD research. This has left in-need consumers with no option but to use over-the-counter meds and, in many cases, seek out unregulated weed from the black market.

Shurtleff says that a lack of cannabis research poses a public health risk. He believes that government-funded CBD research could help combat the opioid epidemic in the U.S. In 2017, approximately 68 percent of more than 70,200 drug overdose deaths involved the use of opioid painkillers; stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although cannabis has long been targeted for its negative effects, a recent study indicated that cannabis may reduce cravings in heroin addicts. 

Since this is the first time that the government has supported studies into the medical properties of CBD, there is hope that researchers will discover a new way of determining a safer, natural alternative to traditional OTC meds.