Ananda Developments - Research Roundup

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC

("Ananda" or the "Company")

Ananda is an AQSE-listed medical cannabis company creating UK-based operations to grow and provide carbon zero, consistent, medical cannabis for the UK and international markets.

Medical Cannabis Research Roundup 

Issue Fifteen

Summary:

Happy New Year! The last couple of months of 2022 produced several significant papers on the evidence for medical cannabis. The list included a number of papers on cannabis and its constituents (i.e. cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids etc) and the mechanisms by which they act illustrating the greater understanding that is being generated in the scientific community with regard to medical cannabis and its mechanisms of action. However, below, we cover a few interesting papers that deal with patient experience with medical cannabis. You will note that while there is a lot of potential shown the call is for more trials with more consistent forms of medical cannabis.

• Study finds medical cannabis is beneficial in women with treatment resistant Fibromyalgia.
• One of the first studies in Japan on intractable epilepsy and CBD shows effectiveness of CBD for reducing seizures.
• Study using Low Doses of CBD plus anti-convulsant shows efficacy.
• A US survey of medical cannabis use during perimenopause and post-menopause shows beneficial effects.

 STUDY FINDS MEDICAL CANNABIS IS BENEFICIAL IN WOMEN WITH TREATMENT RESISTANT FIBROMYALGIA

• Fibromyalgia is a pain-focused syndrome involving diffuse chronic muscle pain, sleep disturbances, and cognitive and functional impairments.
• Fibromyalgia affects approximately 3% of the general population. Women are affected two times more than men.
• 30 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia and having exhausted pharmacological treatment were assessed for Quality of Life scores, out of 5, prior to medical cannabis treatment and again after one month.
• The General quality of life scores went from an average of 1.47/5.00 to 3.43/5.00, a significant improvement!
• Given the small number of participants and the short-term treatment further longer term wider cohort studies are recommended.

 ONE OF THE FIRST STUDIES IN JAPAN ON INTRACTABLE EPILEPSY AND CBD SHOWS EFFECTIVENESS OF CBD FOR REDUCING SEIZURES

• Despite very strict cannabis regulations in Japan, some cannabidiol (CBD) products have been legally distributed since 2013 and taken by some patients with epilepsy.
• A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 38 patients with intractable epilepsy who were taking CBD
• The median CBD intake was 12.0 mg/kg/day NB: Product was CBD isolate.
• Fifteen patients (53.6%) reported a decrease in seizure frequency. Moreover, two patients (7.1%) showed complete resolution of seizures.
• No significant correlation was found between the patient's diagnosis and seizure type or treatment efficacy.
• Conclusions: This is the first cross-sectional study of CBD users in Japan suggesting that CBD may be an effective option for Asian patients with refractory epilepsy, regardless of diagnosis or seizure type.

 STUDY USING LOW DOSES OF CBD PLUS ANTI-CONVULSANT SHOWS EFFICACY

• Thirty-four patients were included in the study over 12 months.
• A high proportion of patients, 16, concluded the study with a total control of the seizures reaching a 100% improvement, 12 reported ≥ 75% improvement, 3 ≥ 50%, and 2 ≥ 25%; only 1 patient had an improvement of less than 25%.
• This is the first Latin American study that demonstrates that long-term CBD added to the usual drugs significantly reduces the frequency, duration, and type of seizures in the different aetiologies of epilepsy, being especially effective on the seizures that are the most incapacitating, improving the quality of life of the individual and their family.
• The CBD used by the population in our study was sublingual PhytoCBD Oil at two different doses: (i) 3% CBD oil with 0.02% THC and (ii) 15% CBD oil with 0.02% THC, administered twice a day with an average dose of 1 mg/kg/day, ranging from 0.32 to 2.4 mg/kg/day.

 A US SURVEY OF MEDICAL CANNABIS USE DURING PERIMENOPAUSE AND POST-MENOPAUSE SHOWS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS.

• Most participants reported current cannabis use (86.1%) and endorsed using medical cannabis for menopause-related symptoms (78.7%).
• The top menopause-related symptoms for medical cannabis use were sleep disturbance (67.4%) and mood/anxiety (46.1%).
• Results suggest that many individuals are currently using medical cannabis as an adjunctive treatment for menopause-related symptoms, particularly sleep disturbance and mood/anxiety.
• Future research should examine the impact of different MC use characteristics (e.g., cannabinoid profiles) on the efficacy of MC use for menopause-related symptoms. Increased severity and prevalence of mood and anxiety symptoms in perimenopausal participants suggest promising targets for clinical trials of cannabinoid-based therapies.

-Ends-
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Duncan Vasey

About Ananda Developments

Ananda is an AQSE-listed medical cannabis company creating UK-based operations to grow and provide carbon zero, consistent, medical cannabis for the UK and international markets.

For more information, please visit: https://anandadevelopments.com/