In a statement made on Friday, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced a “new requirement to measure and report results using a standard THC unit in all applicable human subjects’ research.”
Citing limitations in cannabis research due to THC exposure reporting inconsistencies, NIDA continued by saying, “standardized measure of THC in cannabis products is necessary to advance research by providing greater comparability across studies of both its adverse effects and potential medical uses.”
With the introduction of a standard THC dose, NIDA hopes to make comparing studies involving THC exposure easier.
“It is not the intent of this Notice to prescribe the quantity of THC that is permissible for use in research projects. Indeed, investigators are free to use more or less than 5mg of THC as appropriate for their study. However, for applicable studies, investigators will be required to report the quantity of THC using the standard unit,” NIDA stated in the
For only the second time in the history of their nation, the People’s Republic of China has announced a total ban on a whole class of drugs; specifically forbidding the manufacturing, sale, possession and usage of synthetic cannabinoids. The first time that China declared a class of drugs to be banned was in 2019, when they banned the fentanyl family of drugs. Chinese drug criminalization has been particularly draconian, and they regularly execute prisoners for drug and trafficking related offenses.
China’s New Drug War
Not stopping with synthetic cannabinoids, the Chinese government has announced that 18 additional psychoactive drugs will be banned, beginning July 1st. One particular concern cited for banning synthetic cannabinoids is that, in spite of the implication from the name, synthetics are not merely benign artificial copies. They have been known to have multiple side effects, some of which can even be fatal to their users, according to the US Center for Disease Cont
After passing through a dozen committees, a bill to legalize marijuana in Minnesota is moving toward a full floor House vote a historic first for the state. Though advocates and lawmakers are confident the legislation will be approved by the Democrat-held House, the bill’s momentum may be halted soon after by Minnesota’s GOP-led Senate.
Minnesota Adult-Use Cannabis Bill Passed by House Committees
At the end of January, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D – District 46A) filed a proposal that would permit adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana, in addition to expunging existing cannabis offenses. Since then, the bill has advanced through twelve House panels, including the Health Finance and Policy Committee and the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee.