Exploring the Unknowns of Cannabis: Why Scientists are Concerned

As we have reported on the science of cannabis in recent weeks, nearly every researcher we spoke to lamented the lack of knowledge about the drug’s impacts on our health, the environment, society, and much more. So why are there so many unanswered questions despite our long history with cannabis?

Research into cannabis only began in earnest about twenty years ago. It gained momentum in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with initial studies showing that marijuana could alleviate nausea in people with HIV and those undergoing chemotherapy. Since then, the field has grown rapidly.

However, the number of published studies about cannabis is significantly lower than the extensive data we have on drugs such as tobacco and alcohol.

“We don’t have the foundational data on cannabis that we have for other substances,” says Ryan Sultan at Columbia University in New York.

A major reason for this is the stringent government regulations that make it exceedingly difficult to study cannabis. In the United States, for example, researchers must obtain a special license from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and they can only study cannabis cultivated at licensed facilities. Prior to 2021, there was only one such facility. Even in Canada, where recreational cannabis use has been legal since 2018, federal and provincial restrictions have hindered research.

Although the situation is evolving, we have reached a point where the availability and hype surrounding cannabis products have outpaced the actual evidence of their effects. This concerns experts like Sultan. “The whole treatment and medicinal aspect is very frustrating,” he says. We don’t know the appropriate doses, long-term effects, or even the exact contents of the products people are consuming. “In fact, we know that the things they’re getting are not what the label says they are. So how could you even make dosing recommendations when you don’t have accurate ways of deciphering [the contents]?”

There are still many fundamental aspects of cannabis that we have yet to fully understand, from how the endocannabinoid system impacts our health to comprehending the production and consumption of the cannabis products currently available to the public. These products can differ significantly from the controlled settings of most studies that provide insights. “Let’s find out what we need to find out so that we can approach this thoughtfully and intelligently, rather than what feels like running a natural experiment,” Sultan suggests.