MCTI prepares national medical cannabis research network and plans calls for proposals in strategic areas

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) is working on creating a national network dedicated to medical cannabis research. The information was shared by Thiago Moraes, coordinator of health, biotechnological, and agricultural sciences at the ministry, during an interview at the 5th Brazilian Medical Cannabis Congress.

According to Moraes, the proposal is to bring the ministry closer to the scientific community and structure actions capable of strengthening knowledge production in the field. The initiative provides for the participation of researchers to map topics that still lack study and, based on this diagnosis, guide future funding policies.

"The ministry is working on building a network dedicated to medical cannabis research. The idea is to gather contributions from researchers to identify gap areas that we need to fund and, from there, launch specific calls for proposals to address these knowledge gaps," he stated.

According to the coordinator, MCTI's presence at the congress also reinforces the ministry's interest in acting as a partner to the scientific sector. He highlighted that events focused on medical cannabis represent an opportunity to follow advances in the field, promote dialogue with experts, and learn about demands that could guide new lines of research.

For Moraes, strengthening scientific research is essential to expand knowledge about medical cannabis and support the development of new applications, technologies, and evidence-based public policies.

The ministry's expectation is that the future research network will contribute to integrating researchers, institutions, and different fields of knowledge, creating an environment more conducive to scientific development and the definition of priorities for upcoming funding calls.

Watch the full interview: