A New York company is planning to launch a cannabis-focused peer-reviewed research journal this fall, according to a news release.

There are several organizations across the country studying cannabis. But this could be a great resource for pulling everything together.

Marijuana’s Schedule I federal status has made it difficult for researchers to study the plant and its potential benefits, but some of that has been loosening recently as legalization continues to spread. (For a list of research links, scroll to the bottom of this post).

With more study, hopefully the medical community will be able to validate or invalidate some of the wide-ranging claims about the plant’s benefits.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also signed the Marijuana Research License bill last week, SB 5121. The bill creates a license for researchers to produce and process marijuana for studies such as testing potency, clinical investigations, medical safety, genomic research and agricultural research. It should help foster more studies at Washington State University and the University of Washington.

The press release about the new journal is below.

Cheers!
-SueVo (sue.vorenberg@columbian.com)

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PRESS RELEASE: New Open Access Journal on Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Launching Fall 2015

New Rochelle, NY, April 24, 2015 — Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, a new peer-reviewed, open access journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, is the only journal dedicated to the scientific, medical, and psychosocial exploration of clinical cannabis, cannabinoids, and the biochemical mechanisms of endocannabinoids. Launching in fall 2015, the Journal will be the premier open source for authoritative cannabis and cannabinoid research, discussion, and debate. The Journal will publish under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY) license to ensure broad dissemination and participation.

The medical use of cannabis has become a global phenomenon. There are now 1.1 million users of legal medical cannabis in the U.S. Increasing numbers of jurisdictions in the U.S. and around the world are allowing access to herbal cannabis, and a broad new range of policy initiatives are emerging to regulate cannabis production and use to conduct high-quality research. Several medicines based on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, have been approved as pharmaceutical drugs as medical therapy for a variety of diseases and neurological conditions, such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, and pain, including cancer and neuropathic pain.

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research will publish fully peer-reviewed, evidence-based original articles, review articles, and perspectives on cannabis, cannabinoids, and the endocannabinoid system. The Journal will publish a broad range of human and animal studies including basic and translational research; clinical studies; behavioral, social, and epidemiological issues; and ethical, legal, and regulatory controversies.

An interdisciplinary community including pharmacologists and psychopharmacologists, toxicologists, biochemists, neurologists, psychiatrists, physicians, and other healthcare practitioners, addiction specialists, and regulators and policymakers are invited to participate in this new open access resource.

Topics in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research will include:

Biochemical process of the endocannabinoid system • Cannabinoid receptors and signaling • Pharmaceuticals based on cannabis and cannabinoids • Optimal dosing and drug delivery • Short- and long-term effects on the brain and behavior • Toxicological studies • Analgesic effects, including neuropathic pain and chronic nerve injury • Neurological disorders, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma • Use of cannabis as antinauseants and antispasmodics • Immune function and chronic inflammation, including HIV • Cancer and cancer-related treatment • Screening and assessment for marijuana misuse and addiction • Social, behavioral, and public health impact • Ethics, regulation, legalization, and public policy

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research will build a central forum and repository for peer-reviewed open access papers, as more high-quality research is needed to move the field forward.

For information on manuscript submission or to sign up for email alerts for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, please contact us.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Medicinal Food, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, and Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

Science and research links:

National Cancer Institute Cannabis Q&A – with evidence of it treating various things.
Leaf Science
Web MD Marijuana Research Science page
NIDA – (which has been criticized for only funding negative research)
NORML recent research page (Research listed by the largest marijuana advocacy group)
Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (at UC San Diego)
Science Daily marijuana news
Sanjay Gupta on why he changed his mind about marijuana
Marijuana Policy Project (Advocacy group) list of medical marijuana study references.
Humboldt University list of marijuana research
Drugscience.org
University of Washington learn about marijuana page.
60 peer-reviewed studies on medical marijuana
Marijuana clinical studies and case reports.
Study: CBD enhances skeletal healing
Study: Cannabis Use and Reduced Risk of Insulin Resistance in HIV-HCV Infected Patients
Mayo Clinic Ranking of marijuana science