Cannabis Regulators Identified Six Critical Research Gaps That Should Shape Future Cannabis Policy
The Cannabis Regulators Association outlined a research agenda addressing gaps in medicinal cannabis evidence, product safety, consumer behavior, equity, youth prevention, and illicit market reduction that regulators say are essential for informed policy.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis regulators identified six priority research areas: (1) medicinal use evidence, (2) product safety, (3) consumer behaviors, (4) equity and disparity reduction policies, (5) youth consumption prevention and public health, and (6) illicit market reduction strategies. Federal drug scheduling restrictions are identified as the primary barrier to conducting this research.
Key Numbers
6 priority research areas identified. CANNRA convenes regulators across US states and territories. Federal scheduling identified as primary research barrier.
How They Did This
Commentary from the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA), a nonpartisan nonprofit of government cannabis regulators, based on formal and informal discussions across US states and territories.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis policy has outpaced science in the US. This is the first time cannabis regulators themselves, the people closest to implementation, have formally articulated what research they need to make better policy decisions.
The Bigger Picture
The regulators' perspective is uniquely practical. Unlike academic researchers who may pursue theoretical questions, regulators need answers to specific operational questions: Is this product safe? Does this policy reduce youth use? Is this equity program working? This alignment of research with regulatory needs could accelerate evidence-based policy.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Commentary rather than empirical research. Represents regulators' perspective, which may differ from researchers' or consumers' priorities. Does not quantify research gaps or propose specific study designs. CANNRA membership may not represent all regulatory perspectives.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will federal rescheduling of cannabis actually accelerate the research regulators need?
- ?Can states fund the research their regulators need without waiting for federal action?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis regulators say policy has outpaced science in all six priority areas
- Evidence Grade:
- Expert commentary from practicing cannabis regulators. Represents practical knowledge rather than empirical data.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2023.
- Original Title:
- A Research Agenda to Inform Cannabis Regulation: How Science Can Shape Policy.
- Published In:
- Clinical therapeutics, 45(6), 506-514 (2023)
- Authors:
- Schauer, Gillian L(6), Johnson, Julie K(3), Rak, David J, Dodson, Lori, Steinfeld, Nathanial, Sheehy, Thomas J, Nakata, Michele, Collins, Shawn P
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04915
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
What research do cannabis regulators need most?
Regulators prioritized six areas: medicinal evidence, product safety, consumer behavior, equity policies, youth prevention, and illicit market reduction strategies.
Why is cannabis research so limited?
Federal drug scheduling of cannabis creates comprehensive barriers to research, affecting everything from study design to product availability for clinical trials.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04915APA
Schauer, Gillian L; Johnson, Julie K; Rak, David J; Dodson, Lori; Steinfeld, Nathanial; Sheehy, Thomas J; Nakata, Michele; Collins, Shawn P. (2023). A Research Agenda to Inform Cannabis Regulation: How Science Can Shape Policy.. Clinical therapeutics, 45(6), 506-514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.03.010
MLA
Schauer, Gillian L, et al. "A Research Agenda to Inform Cannabis Regulation: How Science Can Shape Policy.." Clinical therapeutics, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.03.010
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A Research Agenda to Inform Cannabis Regulation: How Science..." RTHC-04915. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/schauer-2023-a-research-agenda-to
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.