Trump administration may strip funding of over 500 cannabis studies
The NIH said it would reduce funding for “indirect costs”
A plan to cut federal funding for research affects 565 ongoing cannabis-related studies, MjBiz Daily reported. Research could be further hampered by cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding that the federal agency announced in February.
The NIH announced that it would drastically reduce funding for “indirect costs,” which are federal research funds that cover administrative and facility-related expenses. The agency said it would not cover more than 15 per cent of “indirect costs” in the future. Without full funding for indirect costs, many researchers would not be able to continue their work, and that includes research involving cannabis. The Trump administration could halt many cannabis studies.
Proposed funding cuts would hurt cannabis research.
Dozens of U.S. universities receive NIH cannabis research grants. Among them is the University of Colorado, which gets the most federal funding, with a total of $12,465,078 for 24 separate research projects. Yale University, the University of Washington, and several universities in California would also be affected, Because researchers involved in these projects may have to stop their work entirely, the universities have sued to prevent the NIH cuts. The outcome of those lawsuits is not yet known.
"We are all very concerned because it is so unpredictable," said Dr. Ziva Cooper, professor and director of the NIH-funded Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids at the University of California Los Angeles.
Cannabis advocacy groups plan to lobby Washington.
Because it is impossible to predict what will happen, cannabis lobby groups will try to act quickly and collectively. NORML, the Drug Policy Alliance, the Last Prisoner Project and the National Cannabis Industry Association are leading the largest bipartisan coalition of cannabis advocates, industry and grassroots organizations at the U.S. Capitol next month.
There is a summit scheduled for April 28th-May 1st, during which coalition members are expected to participate in a series of events promoting legalization. Activities will culminate on the final day of the summit with a demonstration outside the White House demanding a presidential pardon for those currently incarcerated for cannabis offences.
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