NASEM

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is a private, non-governmental institution chartered by Congress to advise on scientific and health matters. In cannabis research, "the NASEM report" typically refers to The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research (National Academies Press, 2017), which reviewed more than 10,000 abstracts and issued roughly 100 conclusions across therapeutic and harm domains. The committee graded evidence on a five-tier framework—conclusive, substantial, moderate, limited, and no or insufficient evidence—finding conclusive/substantial evidence for cannabinoids in chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and multiple sclerosis spasticity, among other conclusions. A follow-up report, Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity (NASEM, September 26, 2024), shifted focus to surveillance, regulatory design, hemp-derived intoxicants, and health equity, urging a coordinated federal public-health framework and a larger CDC role. → See also: Systematic review, Cochrane review.