Israel’s Agriculture and Health ministries will provide NIS 8 million, or about $2.1 million, in funding for 13 medical cannabis studies, according to a Globes report. The agreement is the first-of-its-kind between the Ministry of Agriculture’s chief scientist unit and the Ministry of Health’s medical cannabis unit.
The research will be aimed at biochemical and medical aspects of the plant in addition to improving crop yields. The program will allow researchers to conduct basic and applied research for five years. Among the medical and biomedical studies are identification of strains and specification of new ingredients; the effect of cannabis on vision and its treatment as a multiple sclerosis therapy; its involvement in colon cancer development; its potential to prevent rejection of transplanted organs; and the cannabis plant’s ability to delay bacteria development.
Other projects aim to develop new strains and ways to deal with pests and cannabis plant-specific diseases, researching technologies for irrigating and fertilizing crops, and methods for cloning cannabis plants. The government also plans to establish a genetic bank and national bank of medical cannabis plants.
In all, 30 studies were submitted for funding consideration. The approved studies will be carried out by hospitals, universities, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutes. The government hopes the studies will help develop the next generation of medicinal cannabis products.