CanniMed Ltd. Applauds The Arthritis Society's Leadership Position in Support of Medical Cannabis

SASKATOON, Sept. 29, 2014 /CNW/ - The Arthritis Society's bold position released today in support of medical cannabis as a potential treatment option for the pain of arthritis marks a turning point in patient care.  The full statement can be found here at www.arthritis.ca.  

The anecdotal evidence in support of medical cannabis for arthritis pain is very robust and today's announcement will ensure that more clinical research will be conducted to further validate this treatment modality.

CanniMed Ltd. wholly supports this position, and applauds the leadership position taken today. 

Under the former medical marijuana program that ended in April 2014, more patients suffered from symptoms of severe arthritis than any other medical condition, demonstrating a significant need for additional treatment options in this patient population that is not being met.

Studies show that the body's own pain-regulating system – called the endocannabinoid system – has receptors in nervous system tissue, immune cells, bone and joint tissue. These receptors respond to the cannabinoids found in medical cannabis, similar to how a key opens a lock. Research has already demonstrated its efficacy at reducing pain when used by itself or in combination with other pain-relievers, but the industry is still in its infancy.

"Results from robust clinical trials are needed to further solidify medical cannabis as a valuable treatment option," said Brent Zettl, President and CEO of CanniMed Ltd. "We are very pleased to see that the commitment of The Arthritis Society in this area is similar to our own - to close the gap between the anecdotal benefit and evidence based medicine in order to standardize care."

Prairie Plant Systems Inc., CanniMed's parent company, was the first Licensed Producer under the new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) program to have a clinical trial registered with Health Canada. The randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, proof-of-concept, crossover clinical trial of vapourized cannabis in adults with osteoarthritis of the knee will begin recruitment in October, 2014.

Additionally, Prairie Plant Systems is the only Licensed Producer who can boast that their Canadian-grown medical cannabis has been used in a published clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of smoked cannabis for chronic pain.ⁱ

About CanniMed Ltd.

CanniMed Ltd. was the first producer to be licensed under the new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). Our medical cannabis is produced under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) regulations, the criteria used to manufacture all pharmaceuticals in Canada. Our primary focus is patient safety by strictly following a 281 point quality control process.

CanniMed's parent company, Prairie Plant Systems Inc. was the sole supplier to Health Canada under the former medical marijuana system for the last 13 years, and has been producing safe and consistent medical marijuana for thousands of Canadian patients, with no incident of diversion.

_________________
ⁱ Ware, M. A., Wang, T., Shapiro, S., Robinson, A. and others. (2010) Smoked Cannabis for Chronic Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial. Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). 182:E694-E701.

SOURCE: CanniMed Ltd.

CanniMed Ltd., Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Dara Willis, Dara Willis Communications, Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]