MediCann is collaborating with the CESC, a non-profit organization, for The Dosing Project™ a clinical research initiative.. The Dosing Project™ collects and analyzes surveyed data to discover accurate Cannabis dosing for a wide array of beneficial effects. The study establishes guidelines for the safest and most efficacious use of community sourced Cannabis products. MediCann educates consumers, patients, and the industry on how Cannabis can be used for general ailments and specific indications. We expect many patients will benefit from our efforts in pursuing evidence-based medicine.
The objective of the Dosing Project™ is to capture information from a large number of patients and determine how they respond to characterized Cannabis products.
Our study is working! We've successfully determined statistically significant dosage values in milligrams per kilograms for pain or sleep when smoking or vaporizing cannabis flower. Our next version is coming soon. Stay tuned!!
How many of us have gone into a medical cannabis dispensary and have been told by the dispensary staff that a particular strain has, for example, 24.34% THC? These values are reported without ranges or error factors.. Does that mean that every flower in the jar has the same potency? It stretches credibility that this is the case. We intuitively expect there is likely some range, but we really are not given any guidance what that range actually is. In other industries, sampling, reporting, and testing guidelines are a routine part of best practices. But because the medical cannabis industry is just now coming out of the shadows of prohibition, we lack such clear guidance.
The CESC believes that the creation of these best practices should be an integral part of the medical cannabis industry. As part of our mission, we recently undertook a study of potency variance in controlled cannabis cultivation test plots in order to come up with recommendations for sampling for potency testing. It is our intention and belief that adaption of these recommendations may lead to a safer and more reliable medical cannabis product.
Aroma Types & Terpenes in Cannabis
Cannabis scientists and cannabis medical professionals have proposed three distinct aroma types in the cannabis flower: “Floral”, “Earth”, and “Fuel”, that vary depending on strain and condition. Terpenes in the cannabis flower are responsible for the plant’s distinct aromas and aromatherapy properties. Many scientists believe that terpenes play a significant role in the medicinal effects of cannabis, and that terpenes have a synergistic or “entourage” effect on the endocannabinoid system. Often medical cannabis users associate the aroma with symptom relief.
The terpenes in cannabis have been reported to contain their own medicinal qualities, which complement the effects of THC and CBD, the main active cannabinoids in cannabis.
In summary, terpenes are important in identifying aroma types in cannabis, and therefore play a pivotal role in patients choosing the right medicine for their needs. So next time you pick up some new medicine, fully take in the aroma and see if you can determine if it’s “Floral”, “Earth”, or “Fuel”. This is just another added layer of goodness provided by this wonder-filled plant.
Chemotypes and the THC CBD ratio
Chemotypes are a way to describe plants of the same genus and species, but which differ in their natural product composition. The plants themselves may be largely indistinguishable in appearance. However, the chemotypes vary based on chemistry and genetics.
In a medicinal plant like cannabis, chemotypes are important because they help associate strains with specific ailment treatments in patients. A given chemotype may, therefore, be used to treat a specific disease. This will contribute to a patient’s ability to identify the right, most effective medicine for their condition.
When a patient is able to choose specific ratios of THC to CBD in their medicine, medical cannabis is leveraged in the best way. Like other effective medicine, cannabis needs good science applied to it so it’s full medicinal potential can be realized. We and others have identified 3 major Cannabinoid chemotypes based on the ratio of THC and CBD: a high THC to CBD group, a high CBD to THC group, and a group with roughly equivalent THC and CBD.
Once a patient study is conducted, the data will help patients be able to choose different strains of cannabis based on the chemotype, and use the medicine to treat the specific symptoms they’re experiencing. Patients will have more guidance on their medicine use. For example, what time of day to administer their medicine, and which type of medicine, and for which symptoms. This will help patients’ ability to use medical cannabis the most effectively.
In order to introduce the ratio concept of THC to CBD, we’ve created a series of chemotype icons. Eventually, we see each and every patient getting to know their type, and being able to get the ratio of THC to CBD that best provides the maximum relief from symptoms and improves their quality of life.