Johns Hopkins MedicineNew Research Tools Could Clear Some of the Smoke Around Medical Cannabis

Unveiling the Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis: A Comprehensive Study to Understand Its Health Impacts

An initiative is underway at Johns Hopkins University, aiming to fill the information gap about the therapeutic use of cannabis. With a cohort of about 10,000 patients, the study seeks to understand the health impacts of cannabis and provide insights into the efficacy of different products, delivery methods, and dosages.

Key Points:

• The study is part of the larger Cannabis and Health Research Initiative.
• The research is supported by a five-year, $10 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
• The researchers will track patients over their first year of medical cannabis use, with more frequent assessments at the beginning.
• Data collected will include the chemical composition of different cannabis products, delivery methods, interactions with other medications, and dosage amount, frequency, and timing.
• The information could support clinical decision-making, policies, and regulatory structures for medical cannabis use.
• The data could also be useful for developing clinical trials and basic science research.

“Our mission with this research is to understand the health impacts of therapeutic cannabis use. We hope to provide some starting points for understanding what types of products may or may not be helpful and what types of products may be more risky for use in certain populations or for certain therapeutic purposes.”

Ryan Gregory Vandry, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

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