State-Owned Company Seeks Volunteer Cannabis Product Testers In Argentina
Cannabis research, while still hindered in many ways, has increased in size and scope in recent years thanks to public policy modernization efforts around the world, as well as growing demand for research driven by the emerging legal cannabis industry.
To quantify the increased research in recent decades, one only has to look at search results on PubMed.gov for the term ‘marijuana’, which now yields over 51k results for research conducted between 1950 and today:
With that being said, there is still a lot to be learned about the cannabis plant, its uses, and its potential effects. Argentina’s state-owned cannabis company is conducting research focusing on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and is reportedly looking for local volunteers.
“Cannava SE, the Jujuy state-owned company created to develop cannabis for scientific and therapeutic purposes, began the first Argentine clinical trial studying the effectiveness of THC in the treatment of chronic non-cancer neuropathic pain.” reported El Planteo in its original coverage (translated from Spanish to English).
“The trial is exclusively aimed at residents of the province of Jujuy who suffer from chronic pain , especially neuropathic pain. Participation is part of a formal clinical protocol, with professional monitoring and controlled application of treatment through sublingual drops with a THC-rich formulation.” the outlet also reported.
Argentina’s modern medical cannabis industry got its start in 2017, although it was initially hindered by political issues. Starting in 2019, Argentina has made a big push to boost its domestic cannabis industry, particularly as it pertains to science and research. Back then, Argentina’s Ministry of Science and Technology signed an agreement with a local government, the National University, and other entities.
That was followed by a Presidential decree issued in 2020, which provided a way for medical cannabis patients to, in theory, sign up for a government program to be able to cultivate their own medicine.
In May 2022, lawmakers in Argentina passed a measure that created the framework for a more robust medical cannabis industry in the South American nation, including provisions for boosting exports around the world. Later in 2022, the government established a public company to provide seeds, testing, and training to the nation’s emerging medical cannabis industry.