Top Global Cannabis Researchers to Gather in London for Medical Cannabis Research Symposium

LONDON -- Wednesday, 31 July 2019 -- Today the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) in partnership with the Jamaican Medical Cannabis Corporation (JMCC) announce their Global Medical Cannabis Research Symposium which will take place in London on 18-19 September 2019.

This event, which will showcase the latest developments in medicinal cannabis research, could not be more timely given the imminent releases of NHS England and NICE reviews that are expected to call for the need for more evidence to support the prescribing of medicinal cannabis via the NHS. These calls are a response to the Secretary of State Matt Hancock expressing his ‘immense frustration’ at the lack of prescriptions of medical cannabis.

The two-day Global Medical Cannabis Research Symposium will bring together medical researchers and clinicians working on cannabis-based treatments from around the globe to share their research methodologies and findings with their UK peers. These include: medical cannabis pioneer Dr. Henry Lowe, who will discuss his cannabis-based FDA-approved “orphan drug” for Acute Myeloid Leukemia; leading Pediatric Epilepsy researcher and neurologist Dr Evan Lewis, and Dr. Regina Nelson, who specializes in male and female sexual health.

Other speakers include: the Hon. Professor Errol Morrison, Director General, Jamaican National Commission of Science and Technology; Dr. Saoirse O’Sullivan, Science Lead, Centre for Medicinal Cannabis; Greer Deal, Director, Global Regulatory Services; and Dr. David Horn, Medical Lead, Centre for Medicinal Cannabis.

Attendees will learn about current UK and international research projects focused on cancer, pediatric epilepsy, AML, gastrointestinal disorders, sexual dysfunction and other conditions. Panels and discussions will facilitate the exchange of experiences on research and clinical trial best practices and funding sources.

A multinational panel of patients will share their first-hand treatment experiences with delegates. The patient's voice will be represented by:

Jeff Sawyer, Canada (Cancer Survivor); Gerald Major, Canada (Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis); Carly Barton, United Kingdom (Fibromyalgia) and Lina Eliasson, United Kingdom (Breast Cancer Survivor).

Attendees will also be brought up to speed on the latest UK medical cannabis law and policy developments and what they mean for medical research.

Quotes

Steve Moore, CMC Founder and Director

“The lack of evidence-based knowledge surrounding cannabis-based medicinal products is one of the key blocking factors as to why doctors in the UK are not prescribing despite recent law changes. The Medical Cannabis Research Symposium will bring together some of the world’s leading experts on medicinal cannabis to share their findings and experiences with their UK peers. The goal is to encourage more UK-based research to not only provide the much-needed data but also to position the UK as a world leader in this field.”

Dr. Charles Akle, Symposium Chair, CMC Council of Clinicians and Scientists

“My own research interest is chronic inflammation, particularly as it relates to stress and cancer. I am keen to promote interdisciplinary cross pollination in research so that rapid progress and sensible decisions can be made based on facts rather than fiction.

Medical Cannabis has been used for centuries as a medicine and the public demand for its availability is overwhelming. It is vital that objective research is promoted as soon as possible to enable evidence-based prescribing by the medical profession, who, rightly, also demand robust data. To date, dogma has required that these data are derived from formal randomised clinical trials. However, we now realise that there are also other ways of collecting good data and these need to be explored and expanded.

The Government and the regulatory authorities need data on which to base their decisions. This is why we have suggested the creation of a dedicated research authority on the lines of the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Authority to coordinate action*.”

*ref - https://www.thecmcuk.org/breaking-the-embargo 

Diane Scott, CEO, Jamaican Medical Cannabis Corporation

“We’ve been fortunate in our travels to hear quite a bit about the many exciting medical cannabis research projects now in progress around the world, a few of which JMCC is supporting in different ways. So, we’re very pleased to help bring the researchers involved in a sample of these projects to London to discuss their work with members of the UK medical research community.

At JMCC, our primary focus is on patients – delivering the safest, high-quality medical-grade cannabis available to researchers and medical product developers globally. And we are absolutely aligned with the need for more research of all kinds into determining the real medical benefits cannabis may offer. After nearly 100 years – and counting -- of research-inhibiting prohibition, there is lots of catching up to do.”

--- END ---

About Centre for Medicinal Cannabis

The Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) is the UK’s first and only industry membership body for stakeholders operating in Cannabis Based Medicinal Products (CBMPs) and cannabidiol (CBD) wellness markets. We have a unique capability to engage intelligently and strategically with all influential political and public policy stakeholders, as well as relevant regulatory bodies, drawing on the experience from our global membership base. More information about The CMC can be found at www.thecmcuk.org

About Jamaican Medical Cannabis Group (JMCC)

JMCC is the premier provider of Jamaican medical cannabis to the world. We combine the country’s natural, year-round growing climate and distinctive cannabis cultivars with an unswerving commitment to international quality standards to deliver superior products via state-of-the-science cultivation, quality assurance, testing, processing, packaging, warehousing and global distribution. The JMCC Farmers’ Collective creates a pathway for small farmers to enter Jamaica’s legal cannabis industry. The JMCC Foundation, in which 10% of annual net profits will be invested over 10 years, is an endowment to support local scientific, educational, environmental and community support programs.

Learn more at www.jamaicanmedicann.com