Canadian CANNAINVESTOR Magazine August / September 2017 | Page 177

Cannabis is in a unique position unlike any other medicine in history. The cannabis industry in Canada is growing. Patient subscriptions are increasing, prescribing physicians are on the rise, new companies are growing medical grade cannabis and more and more new ventures are providing solutions in the cannabis space. If we discovered cannabis today we would be hailing this as the single biggest medical discovery of our time. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with recreational drug use has prevented the necessary positive research needed to support what patients have been saying for centuries.

While the cannabis plant has been used medicinally for centuries, governments have rushed to introduce cannabis programs before having many questions answered. With the limited research available, prescriptions are being guided mostly by patient feedback. Research questions being asked are not easy to solve given cannabis is a complex plant with over five hundred different ingredients. Understanding this complexity is needed to be able to guide effective treatments for patients.

At Canabo Medical Corporation (TSXV:CMM), one of our major focuses is big data and research. With our portfolio of over 20,000 patients across the country, we have begun the necessary work of collecting data on our patients in order to drive the field of cannabinoid science and medicine forward.

How can it be that a plant like cannabis can treat such a wide range of conditions from chronic pain, to MS, to seizure disorders, to anxiety and depression? In our twenty plus clinics across the country we are seeing patients obtain significant relief from the cannabis plant. We see it as our duty to translate these anecdotal stories and observations into clinical trials to better understand the working pieces for each condition, the magnitude of the effect and thus ultimately increase the success of cannabinoid therapy. Currently, cannabis prescribing is both art and science and relies heavily upon physician expertise. We are proud to have captured leading Canadian expertise in cannabis prescribing through our renowned physicians and we are now ready to take the next steps in advancing the field.

177