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Medical Marijuana is currently legal in 28 states, as well as Washington D.C. 2016 was a great year for the medical marijuana industry, with Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania implementing legislation and ballot initiatives to legalize medical use.  Along with these initiatives, industry leaders have taken steps to solidify their spot in the market, demonstrate earning potential, and debunk associated stigmas.

Political action aside, widespread use and adoption of any medical treatment requires vetting, and vetting relies on research.  Increased research into cannabidiol (CBD) is expected to strengthen the industry.  The Drug Enforcement Administration, the primary agency for federal enforcement of marijuana laws, has recently increased the number of authorized manufacturers that supply their research.  According to the agency, “This change illustrates the DEA’s commitment to working with the FDA and NIDA to facilitate research concerning marijuana and its components.”

Medical marijuana has seen a lot of interesting research over the last decade. It has been observed to have efficacy in relieving pain, anxiety, symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, Glaucoma, and a wide variety of other medical conditions. Many of these symptoms are treated specifically using cannabidiol (CBD), a substance found in marijuana. CBD does not have the psychoactive qualities that many associate with recreational marijuana use.

“CBD has shown for some time now (decades) that it can have a medicinal effect.” Says CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Gupta, a former critic of medical marijuana, has written articles and produced documentaries extolling the benefits of the controversial drug. According to Gupta, medical marijuana research “is about emerging science that not only shows and proves what marijuana can do for the body but provides better insights into the mechanisms of marijuana in the brain, helping us better understand a plant whose benefits have been documented for thousands of years.”

According to Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, Ph.D., “Cannabis has been used as a medicinal agent for thousands of years. We have evidence that the Assyrians used it in what seem to be neurological diseases, the Greeks and the Romans used it for inflammation.”

Mechoulam is the Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Kalytera, a company that is working to develop proprietary drugs that use CBD. “Kalytera was established in order to evaluate and develop cannabinoid drugs…compounds based on the plant material…we’re studying the cannabinoid system and then preparing new compounds based on the cannabinoid system both in the plant and in the body to get better compounds, better drugs.”