Today’s Analytical Cannabis Track Keynote Speaker: Ethan Russo

Published on: August 22, 2018

Ethan Russo, MD, Director of Research and Development of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI), will give a keynote talk on Wednesday, August 29, in Exhibit Hall B starting at 9:00 a.m. Russo recently spoke to us about his talk and plans to address the challenge of quality control and standardization in the cannabis industry.

Ethan Russo, MD, Director of Research and Development of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI), will give a keynote talk today, Wednesday, August 29, in Exhibit Hall B starting at 9:00 a.m. The talk is titled “Making Cannabis Better and Safer.” Russo recently spoke to us about his talk and plans to address the challenge of quality control and standardization in the cannabis industry.

What will your talk at the 2018 Cannabis Science Conference teach attendees?
How to make cannabis safer and better. We will cover administration techniques: smoking, vaporization, “dabs” and their pros and cons, pesticide and heavy metal contamination, and what cannabis components promote better clinical responses through biochemical synergy and reduce side effects.

From your perspective, what is the most challenging aspect in the cannabis industry? (Or what problem needs to be addressed?)
Beyond the continuing illegality of cannabis on a federal level, the biggest problem in the industry in inadequate quality control and standardization.

What kind of work are you doing to solve that challenge?
As Director of Research and Development of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (https://www.icci.science), one of my prime directives is to promote better and safer cannabis and cannabis-based medicines through education on good agricultural, manufacturing, and clinical practices, and the promotion of better breeding to develop more therapeutic cannabis chemovars.