The Canadian government wants to learn more about the health benefits and risks of marijuana use, ponying up a significant amount of money to help support research.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research announced it would be dropping roughly $24.5 million to bolster cannabis research. The money will help support 26 projects throughout Canada “that cover topics such as the use of cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) oil for the treatment of pain and anxiety,” according to a press release from the agency.
Additionally, the CIHR said the funding “will also support research teams that will explore the therapeutic potential of cannabis in areas such as cancer, chronic pain, and neurodevelopment.”
“We are investing in research to provide the evidence needed to maintain policies for cannabis use that protect the health and safety of Canadians,” Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Canada’s minister of health, said in a statement. “The projects announced today will result in new information on the health effects of cannabis, which will be valuable to governments, public health professionals, health care providers, and all Canadians.”
The funding comes in response to the Canadian government’s legalization of recreational medical marijuana use last fall, which made it the first major world economy to do so. The new law made it legal for adults aged 19 and older to purchase, use and grow pot for recreational purposes—except for in Quebec and Alberta, where the legal age is 18.
In conjunction with the end to prohibition, Canadian officials introduced a bill in March to issue pardons for individuals who had previously been convicted of “simple cannabis possession,” defined as “a criminal charge given by law enforcement for possession of a controlled substance, in this case