How To Find Cannabis and Hemp Research Papers: Easy Guide

If you’ve read through our many blog posts in the past, then you have noticed that when we talk about the benefits of the hemp plant, we carefully cite each and every claim that we make.  The reason why we’re able to do this is because of the abundance of research papers that we’re able to reference, to show that the benefits we discuss have been backed up by researchers who have analyzed components of the hemp plant through advanced and sound scientific methods.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about what cannabis is capable of, then research papers are your best source.  They provide you with objective, peer-reviewed data on specific properties of the plant, as well as critical information pertaining to safety, different uses and dosage amounts, among other things.  Maybe you didn’t know that you have access to hemp research papers, in which case we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about not only finding them, but also understanding them.

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Cannabis and Hemp Research Goes Back Farther Than You May Think

Hemp has only been federally legal since 2018, and marijuana remains federally illegal to this day.  As cannabis was a criminalized substance for most of our existence, we may think that cannabis research is relatively new.  However, that’s far from the case. 

The first cannabinoid to be isolated by scientists was cannabinol (CBN), in the year 1898, and since then, the plant has been studied and analyzed extensively.  CBD, delta 9 THC, delta 8 THC, and many other cannabinoids were isolated in research labs and studied intensively in the mid-1960s, and that means that there have been decades during which scientists have studied the potential benefits of these naturally occurring compounds.

Thanks to this, we are able to access an abundance of research papers related to cannabis as a whole, as well as its individual components like cannabinoids and terpenes.  In other words, there’s a wealth of unbiased, objective and proven information that we can explore to learn more directly from the source.

How to Access Research Papers

Reading these research papers for yourself is free, thanks to PubMed, a government-funded online database and search engine that allows you to look up biomedical and life science literature that has been published over time and added to their database.  This is the resource used by anyone seeking out biomedical studies that are verified and peer-reviewed, and here is where you’ll find essentially any research paper that has been done to analyze cannabis, including specific cannabinoids derived from hemp.

PubMed is part of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and has maintained a commitment to making scientific literature accessible to all for the sake of safety, accessibility and transparency.  It’s a gold mine for anyone who wants to look up specific properties of the hemp plant to see what scientists have discovered.  Say you want to know if the claims that CBD is safe for dogs is actually true.  A quick search on PubMed will give you that answer using detailed scientific methods that you can read about from the scientists who conducted the studies themselves.

A shortcut when seeking out specific information about cannabis is to type your search phrase into your browser’s search function – let’s say it’s “CBD for headaches” – followed by “site:pubmed,” using the quotations.  What this does is pull up only search results that come from PubMed, getting rid of any unsubstantiated claims floating around the internet.

An Understanding of Terminology

Now, as a warning, these research papers are dense.  They’re not for leisurely reading, as they speak thoroughly of scientific methods, using a lot of terminology that you may not be familiar with.  That being said, you should familiarize yourself with cannabis terminology as much as possible, if you haven’t already. 

At Binoid, we aim to use the proper terminology for cannabis as much as possible, to educate our customers on things like cannabinoids, terpenes, strains and delivery methods.  As you continue to read through these research papers, you’ll develop a more scientific knowledge of the plant by understanding what these terms mean.

Reading the Fine Print

When looking through a hemp research paper, you want to read as thoroughly as possible – and yes, we know that many of these papers are lengthy, to put it lightly.  That’s because it’s important to know how the study was carried out and what the conclusion is.  For instance, a case study that uses 4 individuals may not be of as much value as one that uses 400, because 4 individuals are not a great sample size by comparison. 

Or, a study that suggests that CBD may be ineffective may have come to that conclusion because they were using such minute dosage amounts, which is illustrated in the paper, that the results would have not been much to write home about.

Why Some Cannabinoids are Lacking in Research

One thing to keep in mind is that the more newly discovered cannabinoids, like HHC, THC-P, and THC-H, may be lacking in research.  Completing a study takes time and resources, and these cannabinoids are so new to the market that scientists just haven’t had time to analyze them yet, or complete their studies, let alone begin them.  As new studies are published on these newer components of hemp, Binoid will be sharing them through our blog.

Educate Yourself from the Root Source 

Searching for and understanding hemp and cannabis research papers will make you a more knowledgeable and confident consumer, and help you make the best choices to personalize your routine in order to suit your specific needs.  These research papers are free to access, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of them to build their education.

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