US Government Funds $3M In Research On CBD Pain Relief

Can CBD really help ease the pain?

The U.S. government is set to find out, as it will spend $3 million on scientific research of the compound, according to The Associated Press.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health announced Thursday nine research grants to research “the potential pain-relieving properties and mechanisms of actions of the diverse phytochemicals in cannabis, including both minor cannabinoids and terpene.”

THC is not included in the research. 

Chronic pain is the most common reason for which people turn to medical marijuana, despite a lack of scientific research about the exact parts of the plant that are helpful, according to the AP. 

“The science is lagging behind the public use and interest. We’re doing our best to catch up here,” Dr. David Shurtleff, deputy director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, said in a statement.

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THC's potential for addiction and abuse make it an unsuitable pain medication, Shurtleff told the Associated Press, adding that the lack of marijuana research poses a public health risk. 

One of the grant recipients, Dr. Judith Hellman from the University of California San Francisco, told the news agency that scientists need to understand pain better and develop more treatments. 

“It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to do that,” she said.

Hellman’s research is focused on the body’s ability to create signaling molecules similar to marijuana’s ingredients.

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