Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit information from the scientific research community and other stakeholders about its interests in and barriers to adoption of a peer-to-peer network for exchange of cannabis and its constituents to facilitate collaboration and reproducible research.

Background

The increasing access to cannabis and cannabinoid products highlights the need for robust scientific research to address gaps regarding long term health effects, vulnerable populations, standardized dosing, and impact on safety. The Resource Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (R3CR) was established by NIH to support the research community by addressing persistent barriers to conducting rigorous, reproducible cannabis and cannabinoid research. These barriers include challenges related to regulatory compliance, availability and characterization of investigational materials, evolving quality standards, and limited opportunities for cross institutional collaboration.

As part of its initial design, R3CR proposed and launched a peer to peer (P2P) network intended to facilitate responsible sharing of rare, excess, or otherwise difficult to obtain research materials among qualified investigators. The P2P network was envisioned as a complementary mechanism to existing sources of research materials (such as the NIDA Drug Supply Program and DEA-Approved Bulk Cannabis Suppliers), with the potential to promote collaboration, reduce duplication of effort, and improve research efficiency within appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks.

Despite the recognized challenges associated with accessing suitable research materials, the P2P network has seen limited adoption by the research community. At present, it is unclear whether this outcome reflects limited need for such a resource, insufficient awareness, practical or regulatory barriers, institutional constraints, concerns related to compliance or liability, or misalignment with investigator workflows and priorities.

To inform future planning and ensure that R3CR resources effectively align with community needs, R3CR is seeking input from the research community and other stakeholders regarding the perceived value, feasibility, and potential role of a P2P network or similar mechanisms. Feedback will help R3CR better understand barriers to adoption and identify opportunities to refine, replace, or augment resource sharing approaches to better support researchers.

Accordingly, R3CR invites comments through this Request for Information (RFI) to gather perspectives on research material access, peer to peer sharing models, and actions R3CR could take to better serve the cannabis and cannabinoid research community.

Information Requested

R3CR welcomes comments from all interested stakeholders, including but not limited to academic investigators, early career researchers, research administrators, institutional officials, regulatory specialists, core facility directors, testing laboratories, materials suppliers, and professional or scientific organizations. Respondents may address one or more of the topics below; responses to all topics are not required.

1. Research Community Need

• To what extent is there a need within the cannabis and cannabinoid research community for mechanisms that facilitate access to rare, excess, or specialized research materials?
• What types of materials (e.g., plant biomass, extracts, formulations, analytical reference materials) are most challenging to obtain through existing sources?
• Are material access challenges more pronounced for specific study types or stages (e.g., exploratory studies, nonclinical research, pilot clinical investigations)?

2. Awareness and Perceived Value

• Were you aware of the R3CR peer to peer network prior to this RFI? If so, how did you learn about it?
• What factors influence whether researchers view a peer to peer sharing network as useful, credible, or worth the effort to engage?
• What benefits would a peer to peer network need to demonstrate to justify researcher participation?

3. Barriers to Participation and Adoption

• What barriers limit participation in peer to peer sharing of research materials (e.g., regulatory, legal, institutional, logistical, cultural, or administrative)?
• How do institutional policies, controlled substance regulations, legal counsel guidance, or compliance requirements affect the feasibility of participation?
• Are concerns related to liability, documentation, material characterization, or downstream use significant deterrents?
• What role should R3CR play, if any, in facilitating, coordinating, or overseeing a peer to peer network?

4. Alternatives and Complementary Approaches

• Would alternative approaches (e.g., centralized repositories, expanded supplier engagement, standardized material production, or curated collaborations) be preferable to a peer to peer model?
• How should resource sharing efforts be integrated with regulatory and quality guidance to maximize usability?

5. Recommendations for R3CR

• What steps could R3CR take to better support researchers’ needs related to material access and collaboration?
• What guidance, tools, or resources would be most valuable to the research community?
• How should R3CR prioritize future efforts in this area to maximize impact and sustainability?

How To Submit a Response

Responses will be accepted until June 15, 2026. Please provide any feedback to this RFI through the web form below. Responses are voluntary and may be submitted anonymously.

Note: This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the R3CR or Government. The R3CR or Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for the Government’s use of that information.

R3CR and NIH will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at its discretion and will not provide comments to any responder’s submission. However, responses to the RFI may be reflected in future funding opportunity announcements. The information provided will be analyzed and may be shared publicly or appear in reports. Respondents are advised that the R3CR or Government are under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The R3Cr and Government reserves the right to use any nonproprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries concerning this Notice to info@r3cr.org

RFI Form: Investigators’ interests in and barriers to adoption of a peer-to-peer network for exchange of cannabis and its constituents