Medical professionals to get free training on the endocannabinoid system

A Manchester-based company which specialises in the recently established field of endocannabinology is offering a free training course for medical professionals to become a ‘Balance Medicine Clinical Consultant’.

Endocannabinology, referred to by Endoverse as ‘Balance Medicine’, is the study of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a signalling system which keeps the body at a stable internal state, also known as homeostasis.

The ECS achieves this through the activation of receptors; the most well-known being CB1, which is found in various organs in the body, and CB2, which is primarily expressed in the body’s immune system.

The ECS was discovered in Israel in the early 1990s while researchers were studying the effects of THC on the brain. Despite its connection with the cannabis plant, the ECS is active whether you consume cannabis or not.

Speaking to Cannabis Health, Chief Medical Officer at Endoverse, Dr Kristina Ranna explains: “It [ECS] has little to do with cannabis except in name. It is involved with every function in our body and the balance of the ECS is directly related to our health status.”

Dr Ranna

Scientists believe the ECS dates back as far as 500 million years ago where it helped early humans cope with inconsistent food supply and challenging living conditions. Now, as we live very different lives, experts like Dr Ranna believe that most people’s ECS is out of balance.

As the system is thought to be linked to a variety of bodily functions such as sleep, fertility, nerve function, digestion, metabolism and inflammation, Endoverse believes more attention needs to be given to the ancient signalling system.

“About 75% of spending in the healthcare system is invested in treatment of preventable diseases,” Dr Ranna says. “We have a tool to help people in preventing or stopping the development of those conditions.”

“Western healthcare is irreplaceable in acute medicine and injuries, but we still need to focus on prevention and harmless treatment in the early stages of chronic diseases.”

“As a vascular specialist, I saw people every day with atherosclerotic plaques in their arteries, but the only thing I could do was give them medicine or perform an invasive procedure. I didn’t have the time to do more. These patients would benefit from an individual approach, analysing their eating and exercise habits, sleep, stressors and helping them with the process of making the lifestyle changes which will lead to balancing the ECS.”

As it remains a relatively new scientific discovery, understanding of the system is incomplete. Endoverse aims to change this by increasing public awareness and educating medical professionals through its upcoming training programme.

The company is calling on dieticians, nurses, doctors, health and wellness specialists and those with experience in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to sign up for the training.

The course involves eight weeks of intensive online training on the basics of endocannabinoid system, lifestyle and metabolic health. Along with a free PDF textbook, participants will be asked to attend weekly 90-minute live interactive webinars or watch the recorded sessions.

Participant’s progress is tracked with weekly online tests with a final grade based on average test results across the duration of the course.

The company says all successful participants will have the opportunity to become ‘Endoverse Clinical Consultants’, with access to an online, HIPAA- and GDPR-compliant consultancy platform. This allows patients to schedule online and face-to-face consultations with Endoverse’s certified endocannabinology consultants

At the end of the training, selected participants will also be offered an opportunity to become ‘Endoverse Academy Accredited Trainers’ and given access to Endoverse’s online training platform. These participants will be able to train other professionals to become Endoverse Clinical Consultants.

Alongside a CV, prospective participants are asked to provide a short covering letter detailing why they are interested in the course and why they would make a good candidate. This can be sent to company@endoverse.com or the training can be signed up for online at http://www.endoverse.com/

The deadline for applications is the 15th January 2021.

Endoverse says successful candidates will receive an invitation letter by the 25th January.