CBD study offers hope for thousands of patients

A study into the safety of CBD oil could provide hope for thousands of patients living with chronic conditions in the UK.

Research published earlier this year by an Australian medicinal cannabis company has shown a unique cannabis extract to be safe, tolerable and with no intoxication.

Bod Australia Limited has conducted a Phase one trial into the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics [the activity of drugs in the body] of cannabidiol, administered in healthy volunteers, across multiple formulations, at the Nucleus Network in Melbourne.

The study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in October, demonstrates the safety, tolerability and bioavailability [how it can be absorbed into the body] of Cannabis sativa – Linnea 315CSE extract (available as MediCabilis™ Cannabis sativa 50) in oil and sublingual wafer formation, compared to nabiximols oromucosal spray.

It is hoped the findings will provide doctors with the confidence to prescribe the extract for patients and could mark a significant development in the use of medical cannabis to relieve the symptoms of hard-to-treat conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy and anxiety.

About 43 percent of adults in the UK suffer from chronic pain, with as many as 14.3 percent having moderate to severely disabling chronic pain, according to a 2019 study. However, it is highly resistant to existing pharmaceutical treatment.

“The research demonstrates the unique cannabis extract’s physiological performance, providing doctors with the confidence to prescribe this unique pharmaceutical-grade Cannabis extract, with the flexibility of liquid format best suited to the individual needs of their patients,” said Bod Australia’s chief scientific officer Dr Adele Hosseini.

“This research marks a significant development in the use of medical cannabis to support thousands of patients who seek relief for the symptoms of chronic underlying conditions greatly affecting day-to-day life such as pain, anxiety, autism and dementia.”

While the new information is welcomed by thousands of patients with legal cannabis prescriptions in the UK and Australia, Dr Hosseini is also hopeful it will encourage other patients and their doctors to consider cannabis-based treatments.

She added: “With over 5,500 prescriptions across Australia and the UK, we trust this information will support new patients whose doctors may not have considered cannabis as an option due specific data being available on the medicines.

“Patients with Chronic Pain, MS, Epilepsy, Anxiety and even Autism that aren’t getting resolution with their current treatment plan potentially have an option, and hope for better quality of life.”

The company is continuing its research into the effect of medicinal cannabis on Motor Neuron Disease (MND), as well as conducting real-world observational studies.