Salt Lake City, UT: Republican Gov. Spencer Cox has signed legislation into law establishing a cannabis-specific medical research center within the University of Utah.
House Bill 230 appropriates $650,000 in funding for the creation of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research. The Center “shall facilitate and support funding for research related to the efficacy and potential health effects of various cannabis delivery methods, including vaporizing, ingesting, topical application, and combustion; shall support researchers in applying for and securing federal and private research grant funding for expanding medical cannabis research; shall review current and future cannabis research literature, clinical studies, and clinical trials; [and] shall educate medical providers, lawmakers, and the public about medical cannabis research advances.”
Several states – including California, Colorado, Florida, and Pennsylvania – have similarly established state-sponsored institutions to conduct clinical trials and other research specific to the safety and efficacy of cannabis. Those programs have conducted several FDA-approved clinical trials documenting cannabis’ efficacy in various patient populations.
Utah lawmakers enacted legislation permitting for the limited use and distribution of cannabis and cannabis products in 2018.
Additional information on clinical studies assessing the efficacy of cannabis is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
Source: NORML – make a donation