We use cookies for certain features and to improve your experience. See our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy to learn more

Leafly

Shop legal, local weed.

Open
advertise on Leafly
ShopDeliveryDispensariesDealsStrainsBrandsProductsCBDDoctorsCannabis 101Social impact
  • Sign in
  • Create account
  • Strains
  • Shop
  • Shop
  • Delivery
  • Deals
  • Dispensaries
  • CBD Stores
  • Brands
  • Products
  • Learn
  • Cannabis 101
  • News
  • Leafly Learn
  • Science of cannabis
  • Doctors
  • Social impact
  • Lab partners
  • Download the Leafly App
  • Advertise on Leafly
    • Leafly.comUSA flag
    • Leafly.caCanadian flag
    • Leafly.deGerman flag
  • Help
  • News
  • Cannabis 101
  • Growing
  • Strains & products
  • CBD
  • Politics
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science & tech
  • Industry
  • Reports
  • Canada
  • Podcasts
  • Leafly Lists
Science & tech

Cannabis Report Tops National Academies’ 2017 Bestseller List

Bruce BarcottPublished on December 19, 2017 · Last updated July 28, 2020
Scientist in a laboratory

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine just released their 2017 bestseller list, and here’s what topped the list: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research. 

The National Academies are three separate academies of leading researchers and scholars, organized under the federal government, that provide scientific analysis and advice to the nation. In 2017, the organizations published a total of 323 reports, but none was purchased and downloaded more than The Health Effects of Cannabis. That means a whole lot of people want scientifically accurate information about cannabis.

Topping the chart isn’t an insignificant indicator of interest. The National Academies put out a number of reports on urgent headline matters including immigration, CRISPR genome editing, health equity, Alzheimer’s and dementia, and climate change. And yet cannabis drew the most downloads.

The report, published in January 2017, leans toward caution on cannabis, as would be expected from a federal organization. USA Today’s headline summed it up: “Marijuana can help some patients, but doctors say more research needed.”

Nick Jikomes, Leafly’s principal research scientist, went more in-depth on the report’s findings in this article, published earlier this year.

What else made the National Academies’ chart?

Here’s #2 through #10:

2. Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda

3. The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration

4. Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance

5. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity 

6. Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward

7. Seeing Students Learn Science: Integrating Assessment and Instruction in the Classroom

Shop highly rated dispensaries near you

Showing you dispensaries near
See all dispensaries
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • See all dispensaries
See all dispensaries

8. Valuing Climate Damages: Updating Estimation of the Social Cost of Carbon Dioxide

9. Information Technology and the US Workforce: Where Are We and Where Do We Go from Here?

10. Review of the Draft Climate Science Special Report

Shop highly rated dispensaries near you

Showing you dispensaries near
See all dispensaries
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • See all dispensaries
See all dispensaries
research
Bruce Barcott
Bruce Barcott
Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.
View Bruce Barcott's articles

The latest in Science & tech

  • Researchers say cannabis may help treat Covid-19 image
    Researchers say cannabis may help treat Covid-19
    Emily Earlenbaugh
  • Weed & exercise Part III: Can cardio make you fail a drug test? image
    Weed & exercise Part III: Can cardio make you fail a drug test?
    Nick Jikomes, PhD
  • How THC impacts your heart, lungs & exercise performance image
    How THC impacts your heart, lungs & exercise performance
    Nick Jikomes, PhD
  • Here’s the euphoric chemistry behind your runner’s high image
    Here’s the euphoric chemistry behind your runner’s high
    Nick Jikomes, PhD
Get good reads, local deals, and strain spotlights delivered right to your inbox.

By providing us with your email address, you agree to Leafly's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.



Stay In Touch

Receive updates on new products, special offers, and industry news.

Something went wrong, please try again.

By providing us with your email address, you agree to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Leafly mobile app
Get high for less.
Download the Leafly app.
Download Leafly: Marijuana Reviews on the App StoreDownload Leafly Marijuana Reviews on Google Play

Business Solutions
  • List your store
  • List your CBD store
  • List your brand
  • List your practice
  • Business log in

About Leafly
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Investor relations
  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Accessibility

Dispensaries in
  • Los Angeles
  • Seattle
  • Portland
  • San Francisco
  • Toronto
  • Detroit

Privacy & Terms
  • Terms of use
  • Commercial terms of use
  • Privacy policy
  • Do not sell my personal information

* Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for individual medical advice.


© 2025 Leafly, LLC
Leafly and the Leafly logo are registered trademarks of Leafly, LLC. All Rights Reserved.