As we’ve said before, the spread of legalization is helping researchers study the cannabis plant. Proof of this is the fact that Yang Qu, cannabis health research chair at our partner institution the University of New Brunswick, has just been awarded a grant of $150,000 to purchase equipment for his research.
Qu’s focus will be to research the roughly 90 other cannabinoids besides THC and CBD and explore ways to produce plants with larger amounts of specific cannabinoids. The idea is to create super-concentrated cannabis strains tailored to treat specific medical conditions.
This is likely welcome news to many health non-profit organizations such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The MS Society invested $1.5 million with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to research cannabis and its ability to manage symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Pamela Valentine, president and chief executive officer of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, expressed the need for more research into cannabis and how it may be able to help MS patients in a March blog post:
As a scientist, I am extremely optimistic about the potential of medical cannabis for the management of MS symptoms, but progress will only be made through research and innovation.”
– Dr. Valentine
There is clearly enthusiasm for research into medical cannabis and Canada House is excited to see what the future holds for our patients.