NHS and NICE bosses to speak at UK medical cannabis summit

Health chiefs will address what comes next for medical cannabis in the UK at an industry conference later this year.

In an industry first event, the Centre for Medical Cannabis has drawn together a roster of political, scientific and public policy leaders to discuss current research and regulatory opportunities and challenges in the use of cannabis-based medicines.

The UK Medicinal Cannabis Summit, taking place on 15 April 2021, will tackle evidence, policy and regulation in the sector.

Keynote addresses will be delivered by George Freeman MP, the newly appointed member of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform (TIGRR), Dr Keith Ridge, chief pharmaceutical officer for NHS England (NHSE) and director of the NICE Centre for Guidelines, Dr Paul Chrisp.

Professor Roger Pertwee, emeritus professor at the University of Aberdeen and Honorary Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) will also speak.

Alongside keynotes the conference themes will cover Evidence and Real World Data, Cannabinoids in Practice and Cannabinoids in Epilepsy featuring presentations from Dr Mikael Sodergren, of Imperial College London, Professor Andrew Rice, chair of the International Association of the Study of Pain task force and Professor Sir John Tooke, executive chairman of Academic Health Solutions.

Prof Sir John Tooke, commented: “Realising the potential of medicinal cannabis relies on science to understand the molecular mechanisms involved, and generate robust evidence of safety and efficacy.

“The CMC research conference will be an important opportunity to gauge the current status of the science relating to this promising but challenging therapeutic area.”

Following individual lectures, a panel discussion will take place with Professor Helen Cross, head of the Developmental Neuroscience Programme at UCL-Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and Dr Evan Lewis, a paediatric neurologist and expert in cannabis medicines for the treatment of epilepsy, founder of the Neurology Centre of Toronto (NCT).

Two years after medicinal cannabis was legalised by the UK Government, the conference will ask; what comes next for medicinal cannabis in the UK? Where are the evidence gaps? What regulatory innovations are required?

Dr David Baghurst, a research programme director at the NIHR said: “It is timely to bring together the country’s leading researchers, policy makers and industry working in cannabis-based medicine, to discuss the latest developments and identify the research evidence needed around the potential effectiveness of these types of treatment.”

Dr Daniel Couch, medical lead at the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis added: “I am delighted that the CMC undertook to put an event like this together and have assembled such a great programme of national and international speakers.

“This will be an event not to be missed by basic and clinical researchers who are passionate about getting the right evidence to enable broader CBMP prescriptions. The event will also be an excellent education on the current evidence base for cannabinoids for those new to this exciting research area.”

For more information and tickets visit www.cmcsummit.co.uk