‘Millions Are Using Cannabis Yet Only 18 Labs Are Studying It,’ Says Johns Hopkins Scientist
It’s been one year since Maryland launched recreational cannabis sales on July 1, 2023 after voters overwhelmingly approved marijuana legalization in the November midterms. Now, the focus has shifted to pioneering research underway at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and other Maryland-based institutions.
Johns Hopkins, among the nation’s most advanced, is working with participants who are consuming cannabis for scientific studies, which are essential in a field where detailed research remains scarce.
What Are They Doing?
Tucked away in a glassed-in room, which “We call it the smoke box,” said Ryan Vandrey, referring to a negative pressure chamber. Vandrey is a professor at Hopkins’ Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit.
Vandrey and his team are looking into complex questions via ongoing studies exploring potency variations, consumption methods, therapeutic benefits and risks as well as how cannabis interacts with other medications.
“Millions are using …