Medical marijuana as pain reliever wins federal funding

In what may look like theory catching up to practice, the federal government is funding research investigating whether medical marijuana can relieve pain. The nine research grants announced Thursday, totaling $3 million, underwrite work on CBD, the trendy ingredient showing up in cosmetics and foods, as well as research on less familiar chemicals found in the plant. THC — the one that gets you high — was not included because its potential for addiction and abuse make it unsuitable for treating pain, said Dr. David Shurtleff of the NIH, which is funding the projects. The types of pain to be studied include osteoarthritis, neuropathic pain, and lower back pain. “The science is lagging behind the public use and interest,” Shurtleff said. “We’re doing our best to catch up here.”

Correction: Yesterday's item on Canadian youth being hospitalized for substance use had a misleading headline. 1 in 20 hospital stays among Canadian youth during the study period were due to substance use.