January/February 2021 Issue

Understand what information to gather for cultivation operations, which KPIs are important, and how to interpret a performance benchmark.

Resource Benchmarking for Competitive and Efficient Cannabis Cultivation and Production Processes

This article intends to clarify the main goals of GACP and GMP guidelines, identify differences between the two, and more.

GACP and GMP in the Medicinal Cannabis Industry—Is There a Clear Difference?

This article takes a look at major atomic spectroscopy techniques and compares their performance characteristics.

What Atomic Spectroscopic Technique Is Right for Your Laboratory?

Hemp Processing Partners in partnership with United Precision Engineering announced a new state-of-the-art hemp refinery facility. The establishment is able to handle 15,000 pounds (lbs) per hour of dried hemp. The process starts with isolating seed and flower from the stalk of the plant. From there, the stalks are fed into a vertical decordification mill.

After these processes, the size and product choice can be decided. These hemp refinery facilities have been developed to be a central hub for hemp processing for numerous areas in the market. The facilities can also be adapted to any geographical climate with their large-scale drying system.

“We ensure quality throughout the process by using computerized process control equipment as well as RFID tracking through every phase of production,” said Drew Pritchard, Consultant/Engineering Tech of Hemp Processing Partners. “Each custom facility has a unique SOP written for them as well as training and continued support for their systems.”

Articles

Hemp Processing Partners and United Precision Engineering  unveiled a new state-of-the-art hemp refinery facility.

New Hemp Refinery Facility Unveiled by Hemp Processing Partners and United Precision Engineering

Two industry-leading establishments, Byers Scientific & Manufacturing and Pacific Environmental Analytics, recently announced that they would be joining together under one roof. The new company launch is called Byers Scientific (Byers), and through this internal restructuring, Byers will continue to further expand their comprehensively data-driven odor mitigation solutions across numerous industries (1).

Byers Mitigation Technologies, previously Byers Scientific & Manufacturing, has played a prominent role as a designer, engineer, and manufacturer of equipment for the industrial odor management industry since 2014. Their patented dry vapor-phase odor mitigation systems have reportedly been indispensable to various industrial-scale facilities. Through their extensive approach, clients and customers are able to achieve regulatory compliance and effectively decrease energy and water consumption, thus helping the environment and paving the way for a more sustainable future.

The former Pacific Environmental Analytics, now Byers Emissions Analysis (BEA), was created in 2019. Its goal was to offer a different approach for assessing and managing commercial agriculture, as well as industrial emissions. Initiated by scientists Dr. Alex Guenther and Dr. William Vizuete, BEA engaged in pioneering gas-phase emissions testing and analysis to analyze the impact of cultivation, processing, and extraction on air quality using site-specific emissions modeling.

Byers newest company division is Byers Intelligent Systems. The technology they offer is accessible to other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to expand automation capabilities, gather critical data, improve equipment efficiencies, and grow revenue.

Through the combination of Byers Mitigation Technologies, Emissions Analysis, and Intelligent Systems, the company is better able to supply clients and customers to face today’s intricate odor and emissions challenges found throughout numerous industries. Byers uses data-driven mitigation and monitoring systems, as well as science to decrease liability connected with emissions and odor from commercial cannabis, solid waste, industrial- composting, and much more.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/byers-scientific-announces-new-company-structure-to-deliver-innovative-and-sustainable-industrial-scale-odor-mitigation-solutions-301227438.html

Byers Scientific & Manufacturing and Pacific Environmental Analytics  have united together to become Byers Scientific (Byers).

Byers Scientific Announces New Business Structure and New Sustainable Industrial-Scale Odor Mitigation Solutions

In a recent press release (1), the formation of the largest coalition of its kind was announced—the US Cannabis Council (USCC), a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization. The USCC will strategically align and unify its members’ views collectively to continue to advance cannabis reform. USSC is compiled of some of the top cannabis businesses, associations, and advocacy organizations residing in the US.

Through this impressive alliance of individuals, businesses, and organizations, they plan to bring an end to the federal cannabis prohibition, work on securing federal reforms that will assist in the fight for social equity, and promote safe, fair, and well-regulated markets throughout the nation as states legalize cannabis.

“USCC is a unified voice advocating for the descheduling and legalization of cannabis,” said USCC Interim CEO Steven Hawkins, a leader in civil and human rights who also serves as Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a founding member of USCC (1). “Legalization at both the state and federal level must include provisions ensuring social equity and redress for harms caused to communities impacted by cannabis prohibition.”

By uniting together, USCC seeks to raise ethical standards within the cannabis industry, help get justice for the communities that were disproportionately impacted because of misguided federal and state policies, and build an inclusive well-regulated cannabis industry that includes financial, environmental, and social benefits partaken by all.

In Washington, D.C., congressional leaders are already eager to begin working with the USCC. The newly formed coalition plans on becoming a leading resource in the US so that it has stronger ability to influence policy change occurring at both the federal and state levels.

“As founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, I’ve seen firsthand that our most successful cannabis wins have been secured by a team,” said U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore (1). “That’s why I am glad to see this first-of-its-kind alliance. We have a unique opportunity in the 117th Congress to advance cannabis reform, but we must remain united to create the change we know is possible. I look forward to welcoming the United States Cannabis Council to Washington, D.C. and working together toward meaningful policy change in the months and years ahead."

“Today the cannabis industry has mobilized to make our message clear—we must deschedule and legalize cannabis, and it is critical that it is done the right way,” said Christian Sederberg, USCC’s Acting Board Chairman and a partner at national cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg, a founding member of USCC (1). “After so many years working towards meaningful reform, it’s inspiring to see the diverse group of partners who have formed this collective voice, and together, we are hopeful that true, meaningful federal cannabis reform is within reach.”

The founding members of the USCC exemplify some of the most influential business and policy organizations in the cannabis industry. For every five board appointments, the USCC will reserve an additional board seat for members that represent specific areas of focus, such as, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well as other environmental concerns.

Founding members of the USCC consist of multi-state and standalone associations, businesses, and advocacy organizations located throughout North America (1), including:

American Trade Association of Cannabis and Hemp

Association for Cannabis Health Equity and Medicine

If you are interested in becoming involved with the USCC or for more information, please visit 

. The website also contains a full list of the USCC organization members (2).

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005220/en/Top-Cannabis-Businesses-Associations-and-Advocacy-Organizations-Join-Forces-to-Launch-U.S.-Cannabis-Council

Top cannabis establishments in the industry form the US Cannabis Council (USCC) to help landscape the future of cannabis.

Top Cannabis Innovators Combine to Launch US Cannabis Council

In October 2020, a merger was announced between Helix Technologies, Inc. and Medical Outcomes Research Analytics, LLC (MOR Analytics). With this agreement the two companies will run under a new name Forian Inc., continuing to produce innovative healthcare information, analytics, and technology as a new organization. Both Helix Technologies, Inc. and MOR Analytics will go through an all-stock transaction with MOR Analytics members owning approximately 72% and Helix shareholders will own the remaining 28% of the newly combined business on a fully diluted basis. Helix shareholders will also receive .027 shares of Forian common stock for each share of Helix common stock. Forian shares received by the company’s merger are planned to be treated as a tax-free exchange for federal income tax purposes and the newly formed company will also have an excess of $10 million in cash available. In addition, there will be no incurring of new debt to affect the combination.

“We are thrilled to add Helix's unique technology and information assets to our innovative de-identified patient health data and analytics platform,” said Dan Barton, MOR Analytics Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (1). “We have created the nation's only HIPAA compliant, Real World Evidence platform integrating cannabis and de-identified healthcare data designed to support SaaS based business performance analytics, product safety and efficacy surveillance solutions, and evidence-based health outcomes research

 Our U.S.-based healthcare and cannabis clients can leverage data-driven insights to achieve improved patient health outcomes and business performance. We are excited to welcome the Helix platform and recognize the top-tier results produced by Zachary and his team over the last several years.”

Helix CEO Zachary Venegas also commented on the announcement (1). “As Helix has grown into one of the leading global providers of software used in the cannabis industry, we have prioritized value-added solutions, innovation, and outstanding execution at every opportunity. With today's important announcement, this commitment is being taken to the next level. Joining with MOR adds a completely new and critical dimension to Helix's capabilities that will further advance the commercial success of customers using our BioTrack and Cannalytics technology suites.”

Both companies trust that there are momentous synergistic opportunities to create value through combining MOR’s proprietary data and proven experience in data architecture, technology, and analytics with Helix’s operating software business. Through this unification, it creates the largest proprietary, integrated, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant US cannabis Real World Evidence and commercial analytics platform. With this platform, it plans to (1):

Deliver evidence-based insight into the safety and efficacy of ethical pharmaceuticals and cannabis products to better equip physicians, caregivers, cannabis stakeholders, and patients with credible evidence to improve patient care and health outcomes through access to observational research.

Provide a SaaS-based platform serving multiple verticals including life sciences, government, payers, providers, and cannabis dispensaries, manufacturers, and cultivators with the information and intelligence to better understand their products, customers, and the dynamics of a rapidly changing marketplace to drive commercial performance across segments.

Empower regulators to more granularly assess the safety, health, social, and economic outcomes associated with all therapeutic options as the cannabis market scales and cannabinoid-based therapies are adopted as mainstream therapeutic alternatives.

Deliver one of the most advanced data management, software, and analytics products to power the business performance of Helix's large and growing, installed customer base.

Forian Inc. shall be maintaining their headquarters in Newton, PA, as well as offices in Fort Lauderdale, FL and Denver, CO. Dan Barton, CEO of MOR Analytics is now the CEO of Forian Inc. Max Wygod, co-founder of MOR Analytics is now the Executive Chairman of the Board. Adam Dublin, co-founder of MOR Analytics is now the Chief Strategy Officer and Director. Zachary Venegas, Executive Chairman and CEO of Helix and Scott Ogur, Chief Financial Officer of Helix, are remaining onboard and continuing to manage Helix alongside their MOR Analytics counterparts. Forian Inc.’s Board of Directors includes 11 directors, comprised by Marty Wygod, Max Wygod, Adam Dublin, Dan Barton, Scott Ogur, and six new independent directors. The merger and stock proceedings are expected to close sometime within the first quarter of 2021.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/10/19/2110397/0/en/Helix-Technologies-Inc-and-Medical-Outcomes-Research-Analytics-LLC-to-Combine.html

Helix Technologies, Inc. and MOR Analytics have announced the unification of their two companies, becoming Forian Inc..

Helix Technologies, Inc. and Medical Outcomes Research Analytics, LLC Combine to Form Forian Inc.

 was created by a collective partnership with the Brookyln, New York-based 501c3 nonprofit 

. The CannaCareers program is comprised of a skill-building Webinar Series, Office Hours, and a vetted Job Board.

WOCC wanted to establish a place with professional development resources for individuals who may be unemployed, experiencing reduced hours at work, or others who wanted to use their free time to learn more during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This program features a network of resources for people interested in embarking into the cannabis industry but who might be lost on where to begin. The organization resources were vetted and tested to ensure safe environments for black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) folx inquiring about ways to engage in the cannabis industry. CannaCareers also provides those already involved in the industry to use the program as a means to leverage themselves and move up in the field.

“Our CannaCareers program is a one-stop-shop for the cannabis inquisitive at any part in their career journey,” said Shaloma "LoW” Wagstaffe, WOCC cofounder. “This program was crafted with both the novice and professional in mind, and enriched opportunities for the BIPOC and gender-fluid communities. Our Module Sessions provide a deep dive suitable with a low to moderate level of understanding in cannabis whereas our Office Hours program allows for beginners to work on their resumes and ask basic questions. More experienced folx can use these 1:1 Office Hour sessions to ask detailed questions or fine-tune a resume for an opportunity they had in mind. Our CannaCareers program also includes our vetted Job Board that promotes safe work environments for all.”

The program will feature live monthly modules that take an in-depth look at a skill or role in the cannabis industry to teach attendees everything they need to know about entering into the part of the industry being discussed. Each module will be led by a subject matter expert.

“CannaCareers was an important initiative for WOCC to create because education should not be yet another barrier for POC to enter the industry,” said Wagstaffe. “We wanted to provide FREE resources so they were accessible by marginalized communities. We understood that if we wanted to change the data of the cannabis industry and create a diverse and equitable market, that it starts with employment and representation at the highest level in cannabis companies. To do so people need to be educated and hired; we decided to create these job preparedness resources to do just that. And as all good leaders know, you get farther together. To ensure this program was successful and provided actual resources that could support program attendees we knew we needed to partner with other organizations doing the work to get the job done. We decided to work with these trusted, female-owned and operated businesses to create an initiative that provides resources that are safe, tested, and vetted to support BIPOC and gender-fluid folx in cannabis.”

Learn more about the CannaCareers program at 

Women of Color in Cannabis is a registered 501c3 nonprofit based out of Brooklyn, New York. Founders, Shaloma "LoW" Wagstaffe and Patricia Wright, came together in 2018 to establish Women of Color in Cannabis (WOCC, pronounced WOKE!). WOCC connects women of color and allies in the cannabis community to dismantle industry apartheid. WOCC’s mission is to ensure the burgeoning cannabis industry is friendly to women and BIPOC folx as consumers, employees and entrepreneurs. WOCC's goal is to promote women of color and BIPOC folx into leadership positions at the highest levels in cannabis. Become a member today by visiting their website. Donations are welcomed. Contact: 

A new initiative called CannaCareers recently launched and is a collective partnership with NYC-based 501c3 Women of Color in Cannabis, Quality Control Analytics, THC Staffing, and Joint Venture & Co.  

CannaCareers: A Collective Partnership Helping to Educate, Employ, and Promote Diversity and Inclusivity in the Cannabis Industry

Cancer. It is one the worst diagnoses a person can receive from their doctor. The statistics of new cancer patients each year are staggering—there were an estimated 1.8 million new cases diagnosed in 2020 in the US alone (1). According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide (1). Could medical cannabis be an additional tool for patients to fight cancer and increase chances of remission? There is much still to be studied and uncovered scientifically regarding medical cannabis and cancer, but meanwhile patients are taking matters into their own hands and seeing incredible outcomes. Nicole DiMonda along with her husband, Jaime Brambila, the owners and founders of Grace Health and Wellness, were faced with a stage IV breast cancer diagnosis and immediately sought a way to include medical cannabis in her treatment protocols. Here, they share Nicole’s incredible story and Jaime’s research efforts to document her case and help the lives of other cancer patients.

Nicole, can you share your story with us about your initial cancer diagnosis? How did you come to use medical cannabis as an alternative treatment option?

: The diagnosis was just very interesting. I was devastated. The first thing I thought was, “what am I going to tell my mother?” I didn't realize that I had a lump in my breast at all. Actually, I had no symptoms surrounding any of this. What ended up happening is I had a small accident with our dog, and I fell backwards and hurt my back. When I woke up the next morning I couldn't move, so we went to the emergency room. They just kind of pumped me up with a bunch of pain meds and sent me home. Then a couple of days later, Jaime was helping me to dress and he actually noticed something on the breast because you could only really see it (disfigurement) from an angle on the side.

My initial diagnosis was in California, I was diagnosed with was Stage I/II cancer. Then Jaime and I decided to go to New York. This is where I’m from, so my family is there. That's how we ended up actually back on the East Coast. When I got to New York, the diagnosis was Stage IV, metastatic.

The cancer had eaten through my 4, 5, and 6 vertebrae on my spine. I needed spinal surgery for that. It was obviously completely overwhelming. The interesting thing is, my first thought, of course, was how are we going to now incorporate cannabis into my treatments?

The outlook wasn't very good. They had scheduled me for six rounds of chemo to start. Next I was going to have extended radiation, a possible mastectomy, and hysterectomy. It ended up that it was three rounds of chemo only and I was in remission within a five-month period.

How much time passed between your initial diagnosis and when you went to New York and found out it had progressed so quickly?

 It was actually a very short period of time. It was within a two-and-a-half-week period. Unfortunately, what happened in California was that I was misdiagnosed. Hearing that next part when I was in New York was pretty devastating. Our immediate response was, okay, what do we do now?

As soon as you heard the diagnosis, was cannabis immediately something that came to mind?

 Absolutely. One of the reasons is because we had started in the industry initially in Orange County with a small delivery service. What had happened, because we were carrying at the time CBD flower, which was not something readily available at the other dispensaries, people began to call us and they actually had serious ailments.

We began the research prior to my diagnosis with neuropathy, epilepsy, and autism. Jaime and I, especially Jaime, immersed ourselves in that medical portion. We gained a lot of traction with that. And that was great. That's why as soon as my diagnosis came, it was a no brainer for us. We were going to jump on that immediately.

 We really understood the potential that cannabis had with cancer. That beyond the palliative aspect of cannabis medicine, there was a potential for the cytotoxic effect as well. That's really what we were trying to figure out with Nicole.

What was your experience like when you first tried medical cannabis? Since you had moved to New York, were there any roadblocks to getting access to it?

 That's a great question, and interestingly enough, there really wasn't, but a lot of that also had to do with our experience already. We had prior connections with people because of the patients that we had been working with. That made it a little bit easier.

But it's very interesting also, because the thought is that in California doctors would be way more open to cannabis. The doctor that was in California that had first diagnosed me was actually not open to it at all. Our doctor that I have now in NY was open to it and was just kind of like, okay, if you're taking CBD, that's fine. We have now discovered that pretty much across the board, without that education, most of the time, doctors will stick to their protocol, and not suggest any type of alternative treatments. They’re not really interested in whether or not you're taking cannabis. Most of them will say no or they tell you, well, if you want to try it, that's fine. But I don't know anything about it, so I can't help you. That causes an issue because then people end up going to dispensaries. In many instances, they don't necessarily know what's going on either.

How long did it take for you to find the right dose or the right product? Did you get guidance when you were in New York from anyone other than what you already knew?

 No, Jaime put this all together based on the research.

: We've had excellent mentoring along the way, along our journey. One of those gurus that have mentored us is Dr. Dustin Sulak, he's based in Maine. Prior to Nicole's diagnosis, we had been working with him with trying to get patients the right dosing information and the right clinical information to treat with cannabis. He played an instrumental part in us trying to figure out the protocol for Nicole, which was a little bit of intuition and a little bit of understanding the science. At the end of the day, we were lucky with the result that we got with her.

 Basically, from the time I was diagnosed until the time we found the right dose, there was a lot of trial and error. It took probably a couple of months. But what is very important also to understand is that we were waiting to see the results. Our results, my results based on the research and the formulas that we put together, were very good. That also is the trick, is finding those strains that are going to help, along with the consistency in a product, that will allow to figure out individual dosing quicker, if that makes sense.

: And particularly with Nicole, even though we were in the industry, she didn't really have good experience or prior experience with dosing cannabis. In fact, there's a lot of endocannabinoid profiles within the population and there's a particular segment of the population that's very susceptible to cannabis. Nicole falls into that category. So, it was really important for us to have the titrating protocols in order to understand how to increase the dose while minimizing the side effects from the cannabis. That played a big role as well in trying to find what would work for her.

Did you have any problems with product consistency?

: That's a very great question. And this ties into access and the cost-effective aspect for people to take this as a treatment. We were very lucky to be in the industry.

 As far as the consistency was concerned, Jaime was making the products. So, they were always consistent. And that was just such a huge thing because to speak to the question that you asked, our experience and why we began making products even prior to my diagnosis, was that we were working with patients trying to vet the right products. There was one gentleman in particular, we were helping him with liver cancer. We were introduced to a popular brand back in California that we had success with. We tapped them to get the medicine for our cancer patient. Unfortunately, there was no consistency. At one point we had picked up products and they were actually half the dose that we had prescribed for him before.

: This was before adult-use legislation in California. A lot of that has changed now because of testing and all that stuff. But, going back to your question, it really worked in our favor to be in the industry because we knew what we were looking for. It's very difficult for patients to just go into the dispensaries and find a solid product, that's going to help consistently. Even nowadays, that's difficult.

For symptom management, there are a handful of companies out there that make really good products. If you want to step into trying to figure out how to get rid of cancer with cannabis, that's a different ballgame. Hard to access from a consumer standpoint within legal markets.

Do you think other cancer patients are aware of the benefits medical cannabis can offer them? Do you still see a stigma to overcome for people to consider using it?

 It's both. There are people who are definitely open to it. And you can see that on a lot of social mediaplatforms. People are inquisitive. They want to get the information. What we're also finding is that the younger generation tend to tap a lot of the alternative methods and so that stigma is not really as pronounced.

For example, somebody who is older, they may be less likely. A lot of that is either fear because it's that whole “Reefer Madness” generation or it's also fear because they've had a bad experience with cannabis before and they don't want to step back into that. For myself, I was never really a cannabis user, and my advocacy happened because of what I was seeing with our patients. That was one of the biggest fears having to take cannabis now and go through the psychoactive effects, it was actually very scary.

: Not a lot of patients understand the benefits. There's a lot of awareness that needs to be raised because of that stigma. Our government did a wonderful job at placing that stigma. But there's not enough information to make people aware that cannabis is a real medicine.

The legalization movement started with trying to get people access to cannabis as a medicine. We've lost a lot of that with legalization now. There needs to be more information out there to take cannabis as a serious medicine.

Now that your cancer is in remission, do you still use medical cannabis?

 Absolutely. I still take it. My protocols are still the same because of the type of cancer that I have, because it's metastatic. I have to keep up with treatments, even the regular treatment that I that I have to use, which is every three weeks I go for a particular cocktail. It's not a chemo cocktail. It’s targeted therapy.

: And they use that for preventative measures. We really wanted to figure out the dynamic between the standardized care and how cannabis would enhance that. We found that it works great together. One is not better than the other. We don't advocate for only cannabis use.

We take the integrative medicine perspective and every compound has a therapeutic relevancy as long as it's used correctly. With Nicole's diagnosis, in the allopathic medicine world, the standardized medicine world, metastatic cancer is a chronic disease. There's no cure for it.

The expectation from the oncologists is that she's going to be in treatment for the rest of her life. We've really, I guess, turned the page on that because of the outcome that she's had, and we want to prove its efficacy even further. That’s really what we want to advocate in terms of research—cannabis can actually be a solution, maybe a doorway into people not having to deal with a chronic disease like metastatic cancer in their lives.

Can you share some more information about the talk you plan to give at CannMed later this year titled

“Raising Awareness: The Successful Implementation of Natural Plant-Based Medicines Used as Adjunct Therapies with Standard Treatments for Metastatic Breast Cancer?”

: So, because the conference was postponed, it actually worked in our favor, we were only going to speak about Nicole's case study, which we're going to circulate through a peer-review publication. Now we're going to broaden that presentation to include more of the cases that we've seen which have benefited from cannabis with cancer.

Hopefully, we can draw some conclusions about the use. And in particular, I'm going to explain the mechanisms of action that cannabinoids exert as cytotoxic compounds. We know the palliative effect very well. But the cytotoxic effect of cannabis and other therapies is poorly understood.

I'm going to talk about how cannabinoids can act as cytotoxic agents. How psilocybin has anti-inflammatory properties, immunomodulatory properties and possible pro apoptotic effects. In lab models, psilocybin has actually shown potential to exert biological effects that can counter cancer cells. I will also speak about the anti-cancer effects that the ketogenic diet has over certain cancers.

Where do you think the science is headed regarding medical cannabis and cancer research? Are there any on-going studies that have particularly piqued your interest?

: Yes, that's a very important question because we really have not moved past the science being done in a lab setting. We need to raise awareness about the fact that we can safely research the cytotoxic effect of cannabis in humans. Put it to the people's opinion and encourage people to ask for these studies to be done.

That's really where we would like to see cannabis research. Recent studies that have caught our attention or research groups that have caught our attention are particularly in Israel. Dr. Dedi Meiri's research with cannabis and cancer has been groundbreaking. We really wish that the details would be available to people so we can understand what's working and what's not working.

But I think that research projects like at Imperial College with Dr. Nutt are really important. Researchers that are understanding that this is not going to be handled in a lab setting anymore because we're never going to move past that if we don't activate the patient base that needs this medicine.

We see cannabis legalization or cannabis advocacy in countries where they don't have any access. Where cannabis is illegal to be used and people are looking at it for an alternative to save their lives. In the United States, it's the reverse. We have all this access, but people have kind of forgotten about why we were here in the first place.

That activation, that third component to understanding cannabis as a medicine is the patient base. People need to be aware that this needs to be researched in the correct settings and in the correct clinical methodology so that we can get conclusive evidence. We know all about all the wonderful things that cannabis can do for animals. But we have to rely on the anecdotal for people. And that's really where we should bridge the gap with the research.

Where do you hope the research and science surrounding medical cannabis use will be in the next 5-10 years?

: In the hands of the people who need it and in the hands of the patients. If we empower patients to come forward and share their experiences with cannabis, if the research community is open to learning from that and going above the traditional research protocols, we can learn a lot. We can learn a lot because cannabis is being safely used now and nobody is recording it. Hopefully, it will move in a direction where we see more social involvement with cannabis research because we really think that that's how we're going to get the fast answers to what we're trying to figure out.

 And truly, we believe that this type of research should literally be on the forefront of everything right now because this is a huge game changer. Not only for cancer, but also from what's happening with other research such as, children with epilepsy.

I mean, it is an amazing thing to understand that you have this substance that can do everything for your system to make it better, to heal you. The frustration is, how is it possible if we know this, we've seen it, we hear the stories, but people aren't examining it the right way. The doctors are not looking at this the right way at all. Most of them still think it's witch doctor stuff.

: The last thing that I'm going to say about where cannabis research should head. I guess we didn't really touch on this, but cannabis really affects a large part of our physiology, called the endocannabinoid system. That's poorly understood. It is such an important part of our physiological functions. The focus within the medical research community is not there. That's one of the other areas where we need to raise awareness.

More of our conversation with Nicole DiMonda and Jaime Brambila will be featured in an upcoming digital edition of Cannabis Patient Care focused on cancer. Until then, please check out

or sign up to hear Jaime’s talk at this year’s

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics

In this interview, learn about Nicole DiMonda’s incredible story and Jaime Brambila’s research efforts to document her case and help the lives of other cancer patients.

Medical Cannabis as an Adjunct Therapy to  Cancer Treatment: One Patient’s Journey from Diagnosis to Remission

Avicanna Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products, announced that it has filed a master services agreement with the University Health Network (UHN) for projects to be performed by Dr. Peter Carlen as the principal investigator related to epilepsy (1). The company has already completed the technical transfer and first pharmaceutical pilot production of its epilepsy drug candidate at Altea Farmaceutica S.A. (Altea) in Bogota, Colombia, which highlights a major step that is required for the final preparation of its registration and commercialization in South America.

Dr. Peter Carlen is also a senior scientist at the Krembil Research Institute at UHN and a world-renowned researcher in the epilepsy field. Dr. Carlen’s laboratory will be evaluating Avicanna’s RHO Phyto and other pharmaceutical cannabinoid-based products for their efficacy in the treatment of seizures. Included in the partnership, they will also work on codeveloping a high throughput electrophysiological testing system for the evaluation of multiple cannabinoid ratios and in combination with standard epileptic drugs. The system will then screen standard antiseizure drugs for their efficacy in the model and establish the potential synergistic value of adjunctive cannabinoids and cannabinoids as monotherapy in treating seizures in an in vitro environment.

“We think that medical cannabinoids will have a major impact on brain health, particularly as we gain greater understanding of their effects on brain function in health and disease,” said Dr. Carlen (1).

Under the Master Services Agreement, Dr. Carlen’s laboratory has agreed to not conduct testing on any formulations or products similar to the Avicanna products for a period of two years. In addition, all intellectual property created under the agreement will remain the sole property of Avicanna. This collaboration will be broadened to include electrophysiological studies of medical cannabinoids on three-dimensional (3D) human cerebral organoids and neuroglial cultures with the assistance of a two-year Mitacs Accelerate program grant.

Aside from the joint collaboration, Avicanna completed their first pharmaceutical level production of its first epilepsy drug candidate under good manufacturing practices (GMP) and International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines, which are required for sanitary drug registration. Avicanna’s formulation includes active pharmaceutical ingredients that are cannabinoids produced by the company’s subsidiary Santa Marta Golden Hemp S.A.S. Final GMP manufacturing occurred at Altea’s facility in Bogota, which is also a Health Canada and National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA - Brazil) approved GMP facility. The completed pharmaceutical production grants Avicanna permission to pursue drug registrations for epilepsy across several markets in South America, which include Colombia and Brazil.

“We are pleased to demonstrate our dedication to world-class research and to take this stride in our epilepsy research program with a leading Canadian research institute and Dr. Carlen,” said Aras Azadian, CEO of Avicanna (1). “This multi-level partnership will help to further study our current medical cannabis and pharmaceutical products, and will support the development and increase the depth of our pharmaceutical pipeline. Additionally, the completion of our first pharmaceutical production marks a milestone event in our drug development plans and highlights our capabilities to scale our drug formulations from bench top to industrial manufacturing.”

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/01/06/2154105/0/en/Avicanna-Advances-Pharmaceutical-Epilepsy-Program-With-Collaboration-With-the-University-Health-Network-and-GMP-Manufacturing-of-its-First-Pharmaceutical-Preparation.html

Avicanna Inc., is growing their epilepsy program through a collaboration with University Health Network.

Avicanna Expands Epilepsy Program Through Partnership with University Health Network 

Dr. Henion is an Emeritus Professor of Toxicology at Cornell University where he participated as a member of the College of Veterinary Medicine commencing in 1976. He co-founded Advion BioSciences in 1993 where he then served as President and CEO until 2006 when he became CSO of Advion, Inc.

Dr. Henion’s research covers a broad landscape, ranging from areas involving gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) techniques. His accomplishments don’t end in research, Dr. Henion has received three 

 (Honorary Doctorate) degrees in recognition of his international reputation in modern analytical techniques from the University of Ghent, Uppsala University, and Albany University. During his time at Cornell University, Dr. Henion explored the areas of LC–MS utilizing atmospheric pressure ionization (API) sources. He has published 235 peer-reviewed papers in scientific literature, trained around 100 students, post-doctoral scientists, and trainees. All while receiving 12 patents for inventions developed from his research. Through his work, Dr. Henion has received a variety of awards recognizing his efforts to analytical chemistry and entrepreneurship.

In April 2017, Dr. Henion was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Anti-Doping Science Award from the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) for his development of a novel Book-Type Dried Plasma Spot Card. Following suit, Dr. Henion was honored as the winner of the 2018 Bioanalysis Outstanding Contribution Award (BOSCA) in the fall of 2017.

As of December 2019, Dr. Henion retired from Advion, Inc. and is now utilizing his time and knowledge as a consultant on behalf of Henion Enterprises.

® Editorial Advisory Board please visist: 

www.cannabissciencetech.com/cannabis-science-and-technology-editorial-advisory-board

Cannabis Science and Technology® is pleased to announce the addition of Jack Henion to its editorial advisory board (EAB).

Jack Henion Joins Cannabis Science and Technology®’s Editorial Advisory Board

Cannabis Science and Technology®, Cannabis Patient Care™

 and Havas ECS are excited to announce a new partnership to bring a comprehensive training curriculum to all levels of students: health care professionals, patients, parents, caregivers and budtenders.

“Education is key to our mission and core values,” said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences™, the parent company of 

. “We are thrilled to offer our professional audience the opportunity to become more qualified in understanding the endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic context from an innovative well- credentialed education partner.”

The curriculum features three course offerings, allowing one to learn the basics of the endocannabinoid system or earn continuing medical education (CME) credits in either a three-CME course or a 12-CME course.

” is a foundational course designed to introduce health care professionals to the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its therapeutic potential. Successful completion of this online learning system confers a total of three AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and an Introduction to Endocannabinoid Medicine certificate from 

Certification in Endocannabinoid Medicine

” is a comprehensive course for medical professionals interested in gaining accredited certification in endocannabinoid medicine. Successful completion of all four levels modules confers a total of 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and a Certificate in Endocannabinoid Medicine from 

” is an interactive learning system designed to introduce any learner to the ECS and its potential therapeutic impact. Those successfully completing this module receive an Endocannabinoid Science Certificate from 

, we are able to offer a comprehensive educational resource that includes exceptional medical cannabis content, thought-provoking condition-specific webcasts, and exam-based endocannabinoid system certification for medical professionals, patients, caregivers, and industry professionals,” said Rob Dhoble, managing director of Havas ECS.

To learn more about the different courses and enroll, please visit 

® is a multimedia platform that focuses on educating the legal cannabis industry about the science and technology of analytical testing, quality control, extraction and cultivation. The magazine is accompanied by an online component that provides relevant information and tutorials for all members of the cannabis industry.

 magazine is an educational resource for patients, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and caregivers on the latest research, benefits and treatment options cannabis provides for a variety of illnesses. Each issue of the publication will focus on a specific disease or ailment that cannabis has been shown to be an effective remedy for. The brand will cover the current research, patient testimonials, medical perspectives and advocacy work. Our mission is to educate the medical community on the viable treatment options patients are experiencing with cannabis and the ongoing research into cannabis and cannabinoids worldwide. 

™, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

Havas ECS (Endocannabinoid Science) is an education and communications services company committed to health professional and consumer understanding of the endocannabinoid system, to better inform self-care, clinical decision making, and evidence-based reimbursement of medical cannabis and cannabinoid therapeutics. Havas ECS offers educational programs that increase participant understanding, and communications solutions that engage health and medical stakeholders on behalf of manufacturers, employers, insurers, governments, and medical groups. For more information, please visit 

. Havas ECS is a division of Havas Health & You. Havas Health & You unites Havas Life, Health4Brands (H4B), Havas Lynx, Havas Life PR and Havas Health Plus, all wholly owned health and communications networks, with the consumer health businesses and practices of Havas Creative Group. Its customer-centric approach has the talent, tenacity and technology that health-and-wellness companies, brands and people need to thrive in today's world. For more information, go to 

Cannabis Science and Technology® Media Contact

The comprehensive training curriculum is for all levels of students and features three course offerings.

Cannabis Science and Technology® and Cannabis Patient Care™ Partner with Havas ECS to Offer Endocannabinoid Educational Courses

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced they will stop testing players for cannabis use during the 2020–2021 season in response to the stress and quarantining brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

In 2020, the NBPA sought to resume their 2019-2020 season but were met with the challenges brought on by the pandemic. To keep the players, coaches, reporters, medical personnel, and other staff safe, the NBA formed an isolation zone at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (1). There players were able to play behind closed doors and were tested for COVID-19 every other day to prevent further infections. Other sports such as the National Hockey League (NHL) formed similar isolation zones in “hub cities” (2).

The isolation zone soon became known as the Orlando “bubble.” In the bubble, the NBPA temporarily suspended random recreational cannabis tests but continued testing for performance-enhancing drugs. On December 3, 2020, freelance journalist Ben Dowsett reported that the NBA and NBPA reached an agreement to continue the policy of not testing for cannabis. Currently, this joint agreement will remain for at least the 2020-2021 season. “Sources say this decision is largely based on COVID safety—just another way of limiting unnecessary contacts,” said Dowsett (3).

The no-testing cannabis policy was aimed at preventing unnecessary close contact and to relieve players’ stress levels while they trained and continued quarantining in the bubble. NBA spokesman Mike Bass, mentioned that the NBA and NBPA chose to extend the policy due to the “unusual circumstances” the world is experiencing right now. Health experts believe that the COVID-19 virus might be circulating for at least two years. Although cannabis testing is paused for the time being, random testing for performance-enhancing drugs will continue.

The decision to halt cannabis testing comes not long after the United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs (CND) held a momentous vote to remove cannabis from Schedule IV (4), a category containing drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which was spurred on from a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO). In November 2020, five states in the US had passing cannabis legalization measures on their election ballots (5). Successively, a month later, the US House of Representatives voted on two bills to federally legalize cannabis and expand medical cannabis research (6). Thus, highlighting a growing view of acceptance for cannabis.

Under pressure for some time now to remove random cannabis testing, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, has not rejected the idea of making the current pause on cannabis testing policy permanent or hinted at introducing newer policies. Silver has mentioned that the NBA will be handling the topic with a “careful approach” to prevent sending the wrong message to young basketball fans who look up to NBA stars (7).

https://www.cannabisnewswire.com/420-with-cnw-nba-announces-no-testing-for-cannabis-next-season/

https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/nhl-hub-cities-edmonton-toronto-will-host-all-stanley-cup-playoff-games/

https://twitter.com/Ben_Dowsett/status/1334602489023197184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1334603861789532160%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fweedmaps.com%2Fnews%2F2020%2F12%2Fnba-players-wont-be-tested-for-marijuana-next-year-as-league-weighs-permanent-change%2F

https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/united-nations-removes-cannabis-from-schedule-iv-category

https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/04/cannabis-legalization-measures-set-to-pass-in-5-states/

https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/congress-passes-two-historic-cannabis-reform-bills

https://www.ibtimes.com/nba-commissioner-taking-cautious-approach-after-suspending-marijuana-testing-2020-21-3096179

For the 2020-2021 season, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has chosen to freeze random cannabis testing on players, limiting their potential risk of exposure to COVID-19.

NBA Halts Cannabis Testing on Basketball Players This Season

In March 2020, the United States was in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We shut the entire country down and ground the economy to a halt in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Think back to March, and how much uncertainty we were living under.

Nine months later, the FDA approved two COVID-19 vaccines under emergency authorization. Before New Year’s Day, millions of Americans had received the vaccine, including front-line physicians and health care providers and nursing home patients, our most vulnerable citizens.

Nine months. Take a moment to let that sink in.

The mainstream media has crafted a narrative around the COVID-19 pandemic that’s almost entirely negative. For the purpose of ratings, they have described the U.S. response to the pandemic as blundering from one mistake to the next. This narrative is false.

There is another way — a more accurate and underappreciate way — to tell the story of the last nine months. It is a story of heroism, innovation and precise science, performed under unbelievable pressure.

Let’s not mince words: The United States and the world needs to appreciate the role of the pharmaceutical industry — the researchers, physicians and business leaders — who are rescuing the world from COVID-19. It’s the medical breakthrough of our lifetime.

Instead of dwelling on why many in the media are ignoring this, let’s review some facts.

Since the discovery of COVID-19, here is what scientists have accomplished: They identified a novel virus, unlocked and sequenced its genetic code, created new therapies to save lives, and developed multiple safe and effective vaccines using messenger RNA technology, a technology hopefully applicable to future vaccine development. Margaret Liu, M.D., a member of the 

The United States has two vaccines approved for emergency use, one from 

, and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine has been approved for 

 undergoing human clinical trials at the moment, including 20 in phase 3 trials. In the United States and around the world, the pharmaceutical industry has answered the call and invested heavily in this effort.

This was the fastest vaccine development program in history, and it’s not even close. David Pride, M.D., a microbiologist at the University of California San Diego, 

 that vaccines typically take 10 to 15 years to develop. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, the fastest development timeline was four years, for the mumps vaccine.

Many government systems moved quickly to lessen the burden of onerous regulations and provide funding so that vaccines could be developed quickly but with still rigorous standards. Perhaps it should be a lesson to all of us that regulation and innovation can be calibrated more effectively during “normal” times as industry races to develop new therapies for our world’s other pandemics — cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and more.

The next step of the process — distribution of the vaccine — will be as challenging as the development phase, if not more so. But again, the pharmaceutical industry is rising to the occasion. Factories around the world are working in overdrive to produce hundreds of millions of vaccine doses.

Already, less than a month after the Pfizer vaccine was approved, more than 15.4 million doses of vaccine have been distributed across the country, and more than 4.6 million people have received their first dose, 

. Many patients are already receiving their second dose.

While 15.4 million doses are impressive, some expected 20 million doses. But even that is moving the goal line a bit, as six months ago many observers didn’t think we’d get a vaccine until 2021.

 told us that the holidays slowed the rollout considerably. Nancy Messonnier, M.D., a physician with the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, 

 in administered vaccines during these first few days of 2021.

Every day, more people will be vaccinated. After health care workers and our most vulnerable citizens, other frontline workers will be next. Teachers will be vaccinated so our children can return to school. And soon, all Americans will be able to go to their doctor or walk into a CVS or Walgreens and receive the vaccine.

Remember, we did all this in nine months, with the help, dedication and expertise of our pharmaceutical industry heroes. Next time you turn on the TV and see negativity, turn it off. Imagine instead where we will be nine months from now.

Mike Hennessy Sr is the founder and chairman of MJH Life Sciences.

The COVID-19 vaccine, and the speed at which it was developed, is the medical breakthrough of our lifetimes.

How Pharmaceutical Innovation Is Saving the World

In early December 2020, the US House of Representatives approved the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act in an historic vote. Through this momentous bill, it brings a relief-inducing effect for those advocating for the legalization of cannabis (1). For years, reform advocates have fought for the day where they would see a full floor vote ending prohibition in a chamber of Congress.

Under the MORE Act, cannabis would be federally descheduled, expunge records of individuals with prior convictions, and impose a federal 5% sales tax (2). This federal tax would remain at 5% the first two years and then increase by 1% each year until capping out at 8%. After five years, taxes would then be applied to cannabis products based on weight rather than price.

Although it has received passage through the House, many do not feel the bill will receive favorable support in the currently Republican-controlled Senate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D-CA) is the lead sponsor for the Senate companion version of the bill.

Debate on the House floor strongly consisted of Democrats stating their case on how the reform will help address the racist war on drugs, while Republicans counter-argued that cannabis’s legalization would bring harms to public safety and children. Those opposed, such as Rep. Adrien Smith (R-NE), disputed that cannabis legalization’s time was not now and that there were more pressing matters such as COVID-19 relief (1).

“Across this nation, thousands of men and women have suffered needlessly from the federal criminalization of marijuana, particularly in communities of color and have borne the burden of collateral consequences for those ensnared in criminal legal systems that have damaged our society across generations,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) said in her opening remarks (1). “This is unacceptable, and we must change our laws. It is time for Congress to catch up with the reforms that states are enacting.”

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) urged Congress to “align federal cannabis laws with the will of the people.” Correa also showed his appreciation for House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the bill’s sponsor, for including one of his proposals which required a study of the benefits of medical cannabis for veterans in an adopted manager’s amendment. “Let’s take full advantage of the medical benefits of cannabis,” said Correa (1).

“The bottom line is, this vote is about freedom,” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) mentioned (1). “It’s about freedom of choice for every American to make their own decisions for themselves without fear of the government coming and arresting them.”

Congress passes the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act and the Medical Marijuana Research Act in two historic votes, signifying a growing shift toward cannabis legalization.

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