The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has now published online an explanation for changes made to its treatment database entry on cannabis that The American
“„The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
“„In writing Cancer Information Summaries, PDQ Editorial Boards review current evidence. They do not make recommendations. Their work is editorially independent of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The summary on Cannabis and cannabinoids does not represent a policy statement of NCI or NIH. The summary statement represents an independent review of the literature; that review is not influenced by NCI or any other federal agency.
“„In light of the attention garnered by the PDQ summary statement on Cannabis and cannabinoids, reviewers for the summary on the PDQ Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Editorial Board reexamined the recently posted statement and decided to change the wording, in order to clarify the meaning that the Board originally intended to convey and to correct several possible misinterpretations. The changes made and the rationales for them are:
“„Readers of the PDQ Cannabis and Cannabinoids summary should note that no changes were made to the Overall Level of Evidence for Cannabis and Cannabinoids section. This section provides levels of evidence related to the use of cannabinoids and Cannabis.
“„As part of the regular process for all PDQ Editorial Boards, the CAM Editorial Board plans to further review the literature and discuss other potential revisions to the summary.
“„The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of Cannabis as a treatment for any medical condition. To conduct clinical drug research in the United States, researchers must file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA.