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Researchers from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) are exploring the ethical implications of marijuana research that’s largely funded by actors with industry interests. Prior to the recent wave of state-level legalization, studying the potential risks and benefits of marijuana was practically impossible, making the recent rush of cannabis-related studies even more important for the fledgling cannabis market.
These studies give us a glimpse into marijuana and how its use affects humans, particularly in the long term. However, a lot of cannabis research is conducted by actors who stand to make financial gains if the research yields positive results, raising questions on the ethics of marijuana research that’s mostly funded by a for-profit cannabis sector.
Titled ‘Canadian cannabis researcher perspectives on the Conduct and Sponsorship of Scientific Research by the for-profit Cannabis Industry,’ the CAMH study was published in the journal Social Science & Medicine. It found that although researchers are pushed by their need for high-quality research and commitment to helping maintain public health, they are regularly forced into industry partnerships due to systemic barriers.
The study notes that the challenges that push scientists into industry partnerships point to the structural problems that need systemic solutions.
Cannabis research often involves medical conditions that typically don’t respond to conventional treatments and have a notable impact on quality of life. Many of the researchers involved in marijuana research are committed to research efforts that improve people’s lives by advancing our knowledge of the human body and new medications.
CAMH researchers ran a series of 38 interviews with clinicians, academic researchers, and peer researchers from across Canada. Unfortunately, many of them say marijuana’s controlled status at the federal level and the structural barriers arising from its status often force them to make difficult decisions regarding conflict of interest, agenda bias, and scientific integrity.
Some of the study’s considerations included increasing transparency regarding cannabis industry funding, ensuring industry interests don’t influence research agendas, and limiting reliance on the cannabis industry for research funding. Researchers also suggested the implementation of institutional policies that ensure research integrity and independence regardless of the source of funding.
This includes providing concise guidelines that encourage collaborations that benefit public health and manage conflicts of interest effectively. As America’s state-level cannabis industry expands and more people gain access to the drug, such guidelines will be critical to safeguarding the integrity of marijuana research and making sure it is in line with public health goals.
While there are some ethics risks linked to conducting cannabis research sponsored by industry actors, many firms like Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB) are often interested in uncovering the truth about the effects of this substance so that they can leverage their findings for commercial gain. It would therefore be counterproductive in the long run if they twisted the truth since it would only be a matter of time before any fraud is exposed.
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