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Medipen Opens The First Medical Cannabis Research Facility In The UK

Written by Corre Addam

The U.K. has just opened its first research facility for medical cannabis.

While traditionally medical professionals in Britain have been dubious about the concept of medical cannabis, with all the research being carried out in America and Israel, among other countries, the brits don’t want to be left behind.

The research facility will be the first of its kind in Britain to study potential medical uses for cannabis, as they relate to a whole host of patients, especially those suffering from chronic pain.

The folks behind the initiative are a company called Medipen, who made a name for themselves in 2016 when they tested a cannabis vaporizer at the behest of the National Health Service in the U.K.

While the Medipen venture won’t be getting anyone high anytime soon, as it is a CBD-based product, and not rich in the psychoactive element of cannabis, THC, it will give experts the chance to study the effects of their product on patients.

Despite this, the new facility will be studying THC as well, and how it may be able to help people suffering from a range of conditions including epilepsy, muscle pain, and even period cramps.

According to Medipen, “The brand new 1,800ft2 facility will be presented to the public within the next few weeks. This marks the beginning of a strenuous course of clinical trials and research into the medicinal applications of several cannabis constituents, with the goal of developing a portfolio of licensed cannabinoid based medicines in the coming years.”

Medipen spoke in more detail about the aims of the facility, “In particular, the biotech startup is keen to explore the applications of key phytocannabinoids such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for use in cancer patients, with the aim of not only minimising the negative impact of existing chemotherapy based treatments such as nausea and vomiting through its antiemetic properties, but also attempting to suppress metastasis through inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells.”

While views toward medical cannabis have been on the conservative side in Britain traditionally, this new facility is being viewed by medical cannabis proponents to be a great success and a step in the right direction in terms of legalization.

CEO of Medipen, Jordan Owen, told reporters recently, “Since our inception we’ve worked hard to obtain our goal of breaking down the negative connotations surrounding Cannabis to lead to a reform in the law for medicinal use.Now this is finally becoming a reality, which will provide ground breaking results.”

 

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About the author

Corre Addam

Addam spends the lion's share of his day fixated on his computer screen. When he isn't in front of his computer, you'll most likely find him editing or researching his next fascinating article on his smartphone or tablet. When he manages to pull himself away from technology, you'll find him chilling hard somewhere, probably under a tree with an ice-cold Iced-tea, pondering life...