Cannabis and Alzheimer’s: Use Linked to Greater Connectivirty in the Brain
Cannabis Sativa. A annual herbaceous plant, it is a plant that has been used for centuries. First classified by Carl Linnaeus, cannabis has a long recorded history of use including relgious and spiritual purposes, medicine, recreation, industrial fibre, food, and seed oil.
It first became heavily demonized in the early 1900’s, and totted to have no medicinal value for decades. In recent years, research in cannabis sativa has begun to show a new story. A recent study by the University of Texas suggests that chronic use may be linked with greater connectivity in the brain. This may have great impact for those suffering from Alzheimer’s.
“What’s unique about this work is that it combines three different MRI techniques to evaluate different brain characteristics,” said Dr. Sina Aslan, founder and president of Advance MRI, LLC and adjunct assistant professor at The University of Texas at Dallas. “The results suggest increases in connectivity, both structural and functional that may be compensating for gray matter losses. Eventually, however, the structural connectivity or ‘wiring’ of the brain starts degrading with prolonged marijuana use.”
It is important to note that size and density of grey matter in the brain does not correlate to to lower intelligence or slower decision making processes – one can have a smaller brain and have a higher IQ.
Why is this important to the everyday investor looking at this industry? Cannabis Sativa is currently a schedule I drug, a class reserved for dangerous drugs with no medicinal value. It is research like this that allows legislators and policy makers to make informed descions.
If the status were to change, this would allow for greater access by the public and private sectors for a variety of purposes. Currently with heavily controlled legislation Health Canada expects this industry to grow over $1 billion in the first 5 years. As we learn more about this partially understood plant, who know what doors will open down the line?
Follow MomentumPR for new trends and tips on the Canadian Markets.
- Published in Blog, Medical Marijuana
Organigram (V.OGI) and the Massive Deal Everyone Missed
Right?
Organigram (TSX:V.OGI, Stock Forum) essentially secured an LOI for an off-take deal with a chain of ‘healing centres’ that would see them moving up to 4500 kilograms of medical marijuana through 2016, with a 20{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} increase each year beyond that for ten years, for use in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by veterans, the military, and first-responders.
The math on this is simple: Organigram, even if they sell at a conservative $5 per gram, could sell 3 million grams just in 2016 alone, for $15m in revenue.
In 2015? $7.5 million.
This on top of its ongoing business.
Make no mistake, this is a big deal for two reasons.
- It locks in the first seven-digit revenue agreement in Canadian medical marijuana history, at a time when other companies are struggling to do six figures per quarter across the board.
- I’m led to believe this is an INSURANCE BACKED deal. That is, the healing centres are going to be treating the ill with medical marijuana and processing the costs through the patient’s federal insurance.That second point is potentially massive. It locks in ongoing revenues, allows patients to get access to plenty of medicine, and mainstreams the treatment to a point where insurance companies can become quickly conditioned to green-lighting medical marijuana for other conditions.
When insurance becomes part of the MMJ landscape, the profit party begins.
In addition, by moving into this space, Organigram can begin looking south, at a market where PTSD is so prevalent that a large segment of the population is either affected by it, or is close to someone who is.
Also part of the deal: THC will conduct research on medical marijuana and PTSD going forward to help mainstream the treatment.
Organigram, with this deal, graduates, leads and delivers on its promise.
Every other marijuana company out there is looking to grow their patient list, and Organigram just grew theirs by potentially thousands.
Trauma Healing Centers will open 13 centers across Canada as part of their phase one rollout. The first four centers will be in Edmonton, Ottawa, Quebec and the Halifax Region in January, with nine more opening across Canada by June 2015.
Why not open in Vancouver? Because Vancouver has a dispensary on every corner right now, most of which are moving gang-grown product and staffed by guys with neck tattoos and Affliction t-shirts. I’m told there’ll be city wide push to close most of those down in the New Year, which will open the market for real companies that have background checks and follow Health Canada rules to emerge. Good for patients, good for LPs.
I know other companies were talking to Trauma (AKA: THC – did you miss that?) about doing a deal, but Organigram CEO Denis Arsenault told me last week, “They were just treating it like a business opportunity. This is veterans. This is important. We’re going to make money on the deal but we’re not turning the screws, we want the product out there and there’s no greater need than those who’ve served and have PTSD coming home. So we’re working closely with Trauma and we couldn’t be prouder to have got their okay. Every one of us at Organigram considers it an honour to be able to help.”
Not a bad lead-in to Remembrance Day but, oddly, the market pretty much missed the significance of the news.
Organigram stock has been pushing in the green direction for a week or so but, to me, this deal is a company maker. It’s the first nuggets of the gold rush. Yet, the market barely nudged.
Why was that? Well, it’s what wasn’t in the press release: Dollar signs. We don’t know what margin OGI will make on the deal because we don’t have an agreed upon price. In addition, you always have to beware of the words ‘up to’ in any press release.
Organigram’s agreement binds it to supplying ‘up to’ 4500 kilograms through 2016. If THC fails to open its centres, or fails to attracts patients, that ‘up to’ figure could be zero.
Arsenault is convinced that’s not likely. “They’re already hiring, those centres are opening up.”
A casual search would indicate he’s right: Trauma Healing Centres are indeed hiring in Edmonton right now, though there’s no website yet (that I can find anyway). Still, nobody’s taking 3000 kilos of weed for a while yet.
There will be more deals like this, and each one from this point should be fiercely battled for by every licensed producer out there because forging one customer relationship at a time is a fool’s errand. Having reams of new patients handed to you every week is where it’s at.
When I talked to Arsenault, I asked him if this was the tip of the iceberg. He didn’t answer directly, but let’s just say, if you ever get a chance to play poker against him, take that chance.
His poker face is crap.
“We all know it’s going to go recreational legal,” says Arsenault. “When the dust settles, the people with the best product are going to capture a big part of the market.”
Aside from this deal, Organigram’s differentiators are its bilingualism (good for a hard push through the Quebec market, and nearly 30{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of the country’s population), and it has certified organic status, which no other company can boast. The organic thing could be a big help in getting access to doctors. Other producers claim they’re organic too because Health Canada says no pesticides can be used, but certification matters.
The stock, right now, is undervalued, as are almost all the LPs out there (the exception being Mettrum which has held well from its RTO), and a couple that appear to be near term MMPR candidates; Matica (CSE:C.GRF, Stock forum) and Supreme (CSE:C.SL, Stock Forum), for example.
The Canadian weedco marketplace is starting to become a place where real companies do business and, for mine, the rising tide of Organigram just lifted all boats.
Full disclosure: I invested in the last Organigram financing and still hold that investment. They’re also a Stockhouse marketing client, and I’ve also consulted with them on marketing strategy, so it’s safe to say I like OGI. You should be aware of that and take it into consideration before you make any purchasing decision based on this story, but you should also understand those three things happened because I believe the company is doing all the right things.
Read more at CEO.CA: Licensed organic grower vies for Canada’s pot prize.
–Chris Parry
http://www.twitter.com/chrisparry
Read more at http://www.stockhouse.com/news/newswire/2014/11/12/organigram-v-ogi-and-massive-deal-everyone-missed#IgIXv2cpjmp2ttXr.99
- Published in Blog, Medical Marijuana
Organigram (TSXV:OGI) has entered into a binding letter of intent with Trauma Healing Centers!
Organigram (TSXV:OGI) Has continued to show its innovation in the marketplace with its latest expansion.
Today, November 11th, Organigram entered into a binding LOI with Trauma Healing Centers. By June 2015 Organigram will cater to 13 new locations, including Edmonton, Ottawa, Quebec and Halifax. Medical marijuana has long been known to aid PTSD users, and this is a major step in bringing it to the public. This collaboration will bring about new research into PTSD and the use of marijuana as treatment. Organigram’s dedication the highest level of quality can easily be seen in its recent internationally recognized organic certifcation.
The current medical marijuana space has seen many turns. The recent changes in Oregon, Alaska and DC joining the legalized world of marijuana shows how new this industry is, and how quickly things are changing. We are only at the beginning of this North American emerging market! With over 1000 applications to Health Canada for licenses, Organigram’s early acceptance will allow them a strong foothold on the growing marketplace.
- Published in Blog
Organigram (TSXV:OGI) Supporting Five-city Cross-Canada Program to Provide Cannabinoid Education
OTTAWA, Nov. 4, 2014 /CNW/ – The Board of Directors of the Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) today announced a partnership with the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC) to support, through an unrestricted grant, a 5-City Continuing Medical Education (CME) program to be held in February-March 2015.
This educational initiative aims to provide balanced and evidence based cannabinoid education to Canadian healthcare practitioners (physicians and nurse practitioners). The program builds on the portfolio of successful and respected educational sessions led by the CCIC since 2007. The program objectives and contents are developed by a national steering committee and are totally independent from funding sources.
Regulatory changes by Health Canada’s Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) that took effect last April made physicians directly responsible for deciding who should legally have access to marijuana for medical purposes.
“As physicians our number one priority is to help patients. It is imperative that physicians have sufficient knowledge about cannabis and cannabinoids in order to engage in informed discussions with patients about the therapeutic use of these drugs” said Dr. Mark Ware, Executive Director of the CCIC. “The CMCIA sponsored education program will build greater awareness of the risks and benefits of cannabinoids among Canadian physicians. We are encouraged to see the industry supporting this important work. We hope this is the beginning of an important partnership between physicians, researchers and the medical cannabis industry” Ware continued.
As the national association representing the majority of licensed producers regulated by Health Canada under the MMPR, the CMCIA is pleased to support unbiased independent research presented directly to physicians by physicians.
“A key area of focus for the CMCIA is to address the identified need for physician education on both the therapeutic risks and benefits of medical marijuana” said Marc Wayne, Chair of CMCIA.
“The time has come to address these gaps head on and work collectively to support members of the medical community so they can provide the best treatment for their patients. I am very pleased to see members of our industry leading this effort and working collaboratively to support these important initiatives. This program will help to reduce the stigma associated with the use of medical cannabis.”
The 5-city tour is expected to travel to Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver.
The CMCIA would like to thank the following members who are supporting this important CME Education tour:
ABcann, Agrima, Bedrocan Canada, CannMedica Pharma, MedCannAccess, MedReleaf, Mettrum, OrganiGram, and Tweed.
About the CMCIA
The Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) is Canada’s leading member-driven association for Licensed Producers (LPs) of medical cannabis. We represent the majority of producers currently licensed under the Health Canada’s Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), in force as of June 19, 2013.
The CMCIA’s mission is to promote national standards and best practices by supporting the development, growth and integrity of the medical cannabis industry. The association acts as a national voice for our members, and serves as a credible and trusted resource on issues related to medical cannabis industry.
The group shares a philosophy of patient-centered care and improved public health, and is committed to product safety and quality, secure and reliable access for qualified patients, and promotion of the safe and effective use of cannabis for medical purposes.
About the CCIC
The CCIC is a federally registered Canadian nonprofit organization of basic and clinical researchers and health care professionals established to promote evidence-based research and education concerning the endocannabinoid system and therapeutic applications of endocannabinoid and cannabinoid agents.
- Published in Blog
OrganiGram ships first medical marijuana orders
ORGANIGRAM PASSES PRODUCT TESTING AND SHIPS MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO CUSTOMERS
OrganiGram Holdings Inc. has shipped its first orders of medical marijuana to customers.
The product being shipped was sent to RPC Laboratory to undergo product testing as per Health Canada guidelines. The company has received the results of said testing that confirm the product to be in conformance with the Health Canada marijuana for medical purposes regulations (MMPR).
Chief executive officer Denis Arsenault states: “We are extremely pleased to have passed testing and shipped product to our first customers. The fact that we were able to produce product that passed testing without the process of irradiation (cold pasteurization) confirms the high quality of our team, facility and validated the benefits of our organic growing process.”
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- Published in Medical Marijuana
Cannabis Oil Cures Infant of Cancer, Dissolves Inoperable Tumor
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
According to Dr. William Courtney, the western medical mind has a very hard if not impossible time trying to understand the diverse actions of Cannabidiol.
A Doctor of Medicine with extensive education and experience in microbiology, psychiatry and forensic medicine, Dr. William Courtney explains how his 8 months old patient had a massive centrally-located, inoperable brain tumor. The child’s father pushed for “non-traditional” treatment utilizing cannabis and put cannabinoid oil on the baby’s pacifier twice per day, gradually increasing the dose. Within two months there was a dramatic reduction in the size of the baby’s tumor.
Dr. Courtney pointed out that the success of the cannabis approach means that “this child… is not going to have the long-term side effects that would come from a very high dose of chemotherapy or radiation”.
Cannabis Cures Inoperable Tumor
While 10,000 year old cultural practices involve drying then heating cannabis to effect a nearly complete decarboxylation of THC-Acid into THC, the creation of massive amounts of THC is compounded by the introduction of a psychoactive side effect that has a 10 mg dose limitation secondary to CB1 receptor stimulation.
Research conducted in Bethesda Maryland led to Patent 6,630,507 held by the United States of America since 2003 that teaches that the lack of psycho-activity in CBD allows doses that are 100-200 times greater than the tolerable dose of THC. The articulated “effective oral human dosage schedule is 20 mg / kg body weight” requires a considerable amount of cannabis. The simplest approach is to consume the trichrome-laden fully-mature flower along with the 80-day leaf. Patient responses have exceeded any expectations.
Historically, dietary use of the entire raw cannabis plant brings us back in line with 34 million years of cannabis evolution. Lipid messenger molecules preceded cannabis by billions of years. The 4 billion year old development of lipid messenger molecules not only regulated resource management in the most primitive life forms, but were central in the earliest autocrine and paracrine modulation of cellular function. I believe autocrine cross talk was the necessary precedent to symbiotic, then multi-cellular life forms. Tissue specific or paracrine cluster regulation is the domain of the lipid messenger molecules and is the path to comprehending the incredible diversity of function that are only now beginning to be understood. While our perception / publication of these physiologic properties are new, the phenomenal beneficial affects were there yesterday, last year, if not hundreds of millions to billions of years ago.
Researchers have now found that the compound, called cannabidiol, has the ability to ‘switch off’ the gene responsible for metastasis in an aggressive form of cancer. Importantly, this substance does not produce the psychoactive properties of the cannabis plant.
Cannabinoids can prevent cancer, reduce heart attacks by 66{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} and insulin dependent diabetes by 58{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce}. Dr. Courtney recommends drinking 4 – 8 ounces of raw flower and leaf juice from any Hemp plant, 5 mg of Cannabidiol (CBD) per kg of body weight, a salad of Hemp seed sprouts and 50 mg of THC taken in 5 daily doses.
Learn more: 5 Diseases Proven To Respond Better To Cannabis Than Prescription Drugs
“If you heat the plant, you will decarboxylate THC-acid and you will get high, you”ll get your 10 mg. If you don’t heat it, you can go up to five or six hundred milligrams & use it as a Dietary Cannabis… and push it up to the Anti-oxidant and Neuro-protective levels which come into play at hundreds of milligrams”, stated Dr. William Courtney.
“The Hemp plant is actually an excellent plant because the THC content can be low, that’s if you’re treating a condition for which appears CBD food supplement is in order… The plants we’re using in Luxembourg have only 1{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} CBD, a 1{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} CBD plant is providing you with 19 times more CBD per pound than Oranges provide you of vitamin C. A 1{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} is an excellent source, you can make tremendous concentrates you can eat the plant raw – and the absence of the THC – you can heat Hemp, which you can’t do with other strains because the THC acid comes out and you end up with a psycho-toxic substance”, says Dr. Courtney.
27th July 2014
By Marco Torres
- Published in Medical Marijuana
If Big Pharma Isn’t Nervous, It Should Be; Early Stage Cannabis Technologies…Potentially the Next GW Pharma
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 31, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Deep in the brain, buried within the central nervous system as well as lymphatic tissues and organs throughout the body are cannabinoid receptors; patiently waiting to help address a myriad of diseases. With the advent of cannabis research and therapy development many patients will likely trigger them very soon.
Two known receptors in the Endocannabinoid system are CB1 and CB2. There is mounting evidence that there are many more. Simply put, this system of receptors is involved in dealing with a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood and memory.
Activating these receptors by introducing the appropriate drug based on a specific formula of cannabis, primarily utilizing Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has already shown remarkable potential efficacy, albeit somewhat anecdotal, in the treatment of a host of afflictions ranging from cancer to epilepsy, glaucoma, MS, Tourette’s and even eczema.
To date there have been approximately 100 cannabinoids identified; each with the potential to be an integral component of a lower cost treatment; countering the expensive and frequently toxic Big Pharma drugs and therapies.
The current level of research and development of cannabis therapies is analogous to where the Internet was in the mid 1990’s. What is known is that the introduction of targeted phytocannabinoid formulations, such as those with CBD and THC, signal the body to make more endocannabinoids and open more cannabinoid receptors enhancing the body’s ability to fight pain and disease.
“At this point, we don’t actually know how many therapies are possible utilizing phytocompounds, but we suspect hundreds, if not thousands,” stated Craig Schneider, President and CEO of Cannabis Technologies (CAN: CSE, CANLF: OTCQB). “To that end, CAN has developed a proprietary Cannabinoid Drug Design Platform (CDP) to identify new bioactive compounds within the cannabis plant that interact with certain genes responsible for specific diseases.”
The poster stock in this Life Sciences sector is GW Pharmaceutical. The Company IPO’d at $8.90 in May 2013 and traded as high as $107 in 2014. When investors compare the metrics of peers GWPH and CAN, the case for the latter appears compelling.
While it would be easy to draw the usual David and Goliath analogy, in this case the participants, while competitors are really more peers, working toward the same therapeutic goals. And, as a result of the focused CDP development process, cannabis therapies can be on the market in 4-6 years versus 10-15 years as is the norm through the Big Pharma pathway.
GW currently trades at $87 has a market cap of $1.5 billion and had trailing twelve-month (ttm) revenues of $50 million, is virtually debt free and has approximately $163 million in cash. Cannabis Technologies trades at $0.37 is pre-revenue and has a market cap of $12 million with roughly $600k in cash. CAN shares have a 2014 high of $0.71 and low of $0.33.
GWPH market cap is 30 times revenue. Translating that multiple to eventual revenues to early stage CAN evidences compelling growth potential.
GWPH, as CAN, decided early on to dedicate R&D to therapy development and plant their respective flags firmly in Life Science space instead of the class of ‘Medical Marijuana’ companies with all the different connotations.
These companies are involved in serious and life saving science. There are others as well, including AbbVie, which makes the FDA approved chemotherapy nausea treatment Marinol, which is a synthetic formulation of THC. Valeant Pharmaceuticals produces Cesamet, which is a like treatment. The best known to investors is likely GW’s vapor delivered Sativex, used currently in 25 countries outside the US for treatment of the spasticity associated with MS. Sativex is currently in clinical trials for approval as a treatment of cancer pain.
CAN’s Schneider notes: “The media has categorized CAN as an early-stage GW Pharma, a comparison we welcome. We are currently entering Phase 1 trials for our glaucoma treatment CTI-085, which showed great therapeutic promise in pre-clinical trials relieving the ocular pressure associated. This initial therapy is much more, being a proof of concept of the ability of our CDP to identify specifically engineered treatments to deal with many debilitating and deadly diseases.”
For context, the $12 billion ocular disease market includes $5.7 billion for glaucoma.
Other drugs in development include GW’s Epidolex for the treatment of rare diseases as well as other compounds in clinical trials for treatment of autoimmune, diabetes and schizophrenia.
The key to therapy going forward is this specific engineering and the ability to replicate the compound for quality and consistency. Sativex is basically 50{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} CBD and 50{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} THC. The CBD component has the dual task of being the active ingredient as well as damping down the psychotropic effects of the THC. CBD comes from the hemp plant and has only trace THC.
As new cannabis drugs develop, individual formulations will be more therapy specific, have non-cannabis ingredients added and undergo stringent quality and consistency controls.
Big Pharma has a right to be nervous. Side effects from cannabis therapies are virtually non-existent, development costs are extremely low by comparison–$5 billion on average per Big Pharma drug—and companies like CAN are confident that as it progresses it can develop therapies in a period of 60-90 days instead of decades.
Part of the strategic engineering is not just how much of this and that goes into a compound. The key is to develop plants that produce the right material for each formulation. It is not inconceivable that if there were 500 cannabis therapies, there would be 500 different strains of cannabis plant as ‘feed stock’.
The label of Medical Marijuana companies, when referring to enterprises such as GW, CAN, AbbVie and Valeant, are the exception to what appears to be a wild west show at times. These are serious life science companies. To include them with the plethora of Medical Marijuana initiatives, whether junior mining companies looking for a new direction or those that feel simply growing generic marijuana is a sound business plan, many will likely fail or be swallowed.
Like the Internet of old where there are few survivors today from that era, the cannabis space will eventually be littered with casualties as it builds out. What is not in dispute, is that the efficacy of cannabis appears undeniable and therapy development will continue and likely speed up, building on early successes. GW and CAN will likely be among those to grow and prosper; a good thing for both shareholders and, more importantly, those millions of patients suffering from particularly nasty diseases and conditions.
Innovative science requires scientists. Rounding out CEO Craig Schneider’s 20 years of capital market and biopharmaceutical experience CAN has two world-class scientists. Dr. Sazzad Hossain Ph.D, M.Sc., Chief Science Officer, brings two decades of experience in new drug discovery and natural health product development. His practical experience includes senior scientist at the NRCC bringing and has generated over $500 million in revenue from therapies he has been involved in developing from the discovery to commercialization.
Key as well is the Company’s breeding, genetics and cultivation division led by Dr. Hyder Khoja, Ph.D., M.Sc., A.Ag. who brings 17 years of extensive research and business provenance in life sciences and business services.
Management has spoken frequently about addressing larger therapy markets including cancer, metabolic diseases and pain and inflammation. On par with GW, CAN has plans to produce medicines in-house initiated by its CDP technology, breeding and cultivation division and proprietary formula engineering. Even at this early stage, the Company is keenly aware of the need for not just the development of therapies but the ability to replicate each with strict quality and consistency.
Further adding to shareholder value is a patent pending for CAN’s CDP and a plan to protect IP by filing patents as therapies are developed.
If you are considering investing in the cannabis space, buy the science. Hype has a very short shelf life.
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CONTACT: Cannabis Technologies #350-409 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC Canada, V6C 1T2 Tel: 604.669.7207 Fax: 604.683.2506 info@cannabis-tech.com
- Published in Life Sciences, Medical Marijuana
New Research Shows How Marijuana Compound Can Reduce Tumor Growth In Cancer Patients
Scientists have long known that compounds derived from marijuana have some cancer fighting properties, but a recent discovery demonstrates how exactly one compound may fight tumors.
Published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the research reveals two previously unknown “signaling platforms” in cells that allow THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis known for producing the “high” sensation, to shrink some cancerous tumors.
“THC, the major active component of marijuana, has anti-cancer properties,” Dr. Peter McCormick, a researcher from University of East Anglia in England and co-author of the study, said in a statement. “This compound is known to act through a specific family of cell receptors called cannabinoid receptors. However, it was unclear which of these receptors were responsible for the anti-tumor effects of THC.”
When the researchers applied THC to tumors induced in mice using human breast cancer cells, the interaction between two cannabinoid cell receptors — CB2 and GPR55 — were responsible for THC’s anti-tumor benefits.
“Our findings help explain some of the well-known but still poorly understood effects of THC at low and high doses on tumor growth,” McCormick added. He emphasized in an email to The Huffington Post that dosage is critical to outcome, since the wrong protocol can sometimes increase tumor growth, he said.
“So, the ideal would be either the purified THC in an effective dose provided by a health care provider to reduce the known cognitive side effects and still deliver the appropriate reduction in tumor growth, or a synthetic homolog that provides the same effects,” McCormack said. He added that the research team didn’t screen all tumors and that some types may not respond to this treatment if they do not have compatible receptors expressed.
The endocannabinoid (EC) system is a communications network in the brain and body that is involved in a number of physiological processes that affect a person’s feelings, motor skills and memory. The EC system is responsive to the body’s naturally-occurring endocannabinoids as well as the cannabinoids found in marijuana, like THC. And scientists have found that the CB2 receptor specifically is sensitive to the therapeutic properties of marijuana-based compounds.
This isn’t the first time scientists have found that marijuana can be effective at fighting cancer. Previous studies have found that THC cuts tumor growth in lung cancer in half and also prohibited the cancer from spreading. THC has also been shown to induce death in brain cancer cells.
But THC is just one of many cannabinoids found in marijuana. Others, like CBD, a non-toxic, non-psychoactive chemical compound in the cannabis plant, has also shown promise in the battle against cancer. Researchers in California found that CBD could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer.
In the United Kingdom, a team of scientists found that six different purified cannabinoids — CBD (Cannabidiol), CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid), CBG (Cannbigerol), CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid), CBGV (Cannabigevarin) and CBGVA (Cannabigevaric acid) — showed a wide range of therapeutic qualities that “target and switch off” pathways that allow cancers to grow.
A number of studies in recent years have demonstrated the medical potential of pot beyond cancer treatment. Purified forms of cannabis has been tied to better blood sugar control, and may help slow the spread of HIV. Legalization of the plant for medical purposes may even lead to lower suicide rates.
Currently, the federal government classifies the plant as one of the “most dangerous” substances alongside heroin and LSD with “no currently accepted medical use.”
McCormack told HuffPost that the researchers are moving toward clinical trials but that it would be at least five years before those would begin.
- Published in Blog
Marijuana, now officially more expensive then gold
Shatter hash and other similar concentrates make up one of the fastest-growing facets of Colorado’s bustling marijuana industry — but shatter, which can be used for dabbing, is also still quite controversial.
Shatter can be dangerous to produce, as many have learned after blowing up their garages or hotel rooms. And it’s also an incredibly potent method of ingesting THC — hardly ideal for the inexperienced pot connoisseur.
Just how popular is shatter?
“At this point gold costs $43.50 a gram,” said Tucker Eldridge, master grower at Nature’s Herbs & Wellness, “and shatter costs $40 a gram off the shelf for medical patients. You add another 30{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} tax to that, and it ends up costing more than gold.”
Shatter can sell recreationally for $60-$90 a gram, Eldridge said in the above video, by Denver Post photographer Joe Amon.
So why do some prefer shatter to flower or edibles?
“If you’re looking for something that’s significantly more potent, has significantly less adulterant plant matter, which is what combusts and produces carcinogens, then shatter hash is going to be more your cup of tea,” Eldridge said. “If you’re not looking for something that’s that potent it can be almost psychoactive.”
- Published in Blog
HIGHMARK ENTERS INTO A NON-BINDING LOI WITH A CORPORATION IN THE FINAL STAGES OF BECOMING A LICENSED PRODUCER OF MARIJUANA
Highmark Marketing Inc. has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with a corporation to acquire 51 per cent of its authorized share capital.
The Corporation is the final stages of their application to Health Canada to become a licensed producer of marijuana under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (the “MMPR”). The intended facility is 16,000 square feet and the Corporation has been granted approval from Health Canada to build out the facility (“Ready to Build Letter”). After completing the construction of the facility as per the Ready to Build Letter the Corporation will schedule an inspection by Health Canada, and upon receiving approval the Corporation would then be granted a License to Produce.
Highmark and the Corporation are now negotiating the terms of the long form agreement, and pursuant to the Letter Highmark will issue 30,000 common shares to the Corporation.
The estimated cost of upgrading the facility to comply with the requirements set out in Health Canada’s Ready to Build letter is $2,000,000. The long form agreement will contain a payment schedule whereby Highmark will provide the necessary financing by way of a convertible loan which will convert, at Highmark’s option, into stock of the Corporation that will be equal to 51{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of the total issued and outstanding shares of every class of the Corporation. Highmark intends to fund its commitments under the long form agreement with Corporation by way of an equity financing in the amount of $2,000,000.
The Corporation cannot legally become a producer under the MMPR until it has been granted a license, and it is not known if and when the Corporation will obtain a license. The key milestones to obtaining a license include the completion of upgrades to the facility as per the Ready to Build letter, approval from Health Canada to produce marijuana upon inspection of the facility, and finally approval to distribute the product to patients.
The Corporation has a management team well suited to the production of marijuana. One Co-Founder holds a Master Grower designation and was a producer of marijuana in the U.S.A. under a state sanctioned program, and he has more than 20 years’ experience working in the agricultural sector. Another Co-Founder has been a Health Canada designated grower of marijuana for 3 years, and another key member of the management team holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and has a successful track record of managing a labour force of up to 40 employees.
The Corporation has presented Highmark a comprehensive five-year business plan in which it forecasts to reach profitability in the second year of operations after receiving Health Canada approval to become Licensed Producer. In that second year of operations, the Corporation is planning on sales of up to $472,000 per month, and obtaining $4,720,000 in annual sales, with a corresponding net income of $2,225,000.
Highmark intends on providing new information about the Corporation, and its assets when Due Dilligence permits, and will additionally update the status of the long form agreement when possible.
We seek Safe Harbor.
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- Published in Medical Marijuana