CANNAINVESTOR Magazine September / October 2016 | Page 27

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Additionally, a recent study conducted by Ethan B. Russo “found the development of several subjective pain syndromes to be associated with a deficiency in the body’s endocannabinoid system”. These ‘pain syndromes’ included migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Other recent studies have shown remarkable relief from the pain associated with Arthritis. This is in addition to the more than one hundred other medical conditions that have shown success when treated with medical cannabis including cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, MS, PTSD, depression, schizophrenia, and so forth.

It does not take the astute Retail Investor long to conduct their own research and due diligence to conclude that there is indeed a growing body of science worldwide that has shown that Cannabis has had tremendous success in the treatment of various conditions and diseases and as such the eventual rescheduling of cannabis may be inevitable. The denial to reschedule cannabis has made the headlines and filled the bullboards with dire predictions from the doomsayers. However, the DEA as part of its decision, removed the monopoly that the University of Mississippi had on growing marijuana for research purposes. The DEA announcement means that other facilities can now apply to grow research use cannabis (www.thecoloradoindependent.com).

That secondary ruling may prove to be a catalyst for increased research and that research, in time, may remove the ‘little medical value’ that seems behind the DEA’s refusal to reschedule cannabis. Astute Analysts and Retail Investors immediately recognized the positive long-term ramifications of the full DEA ruling as a potential milestone bellwether Ecoforming event. The DEA’s current scheduling of Synthetic THC may in time also prove to be an important factor.

The evidence to date appears to suggest that synthetic THC is not a one-for-one substitute for natural cannabis. Dr. Titus references the fact that synthetic cannabis, including Marinol and Dronabinol, is scheduled less than Schedule 1 and asserts “when one looks at the harm of many synthetic cannabinoids and the number of deaths attributed, and then sees that no one has ever died of an overdose of natural botanical cannabis, one wonders how a natural plant can be a Schedule I federally controlled substance.”

Dr. Titus makes reference to the international reality of the acceptance of the health benefits of medical marijuana and how companies such as Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX:CGC; OTC:TWMJF) received yet another multi-million-dollar investment and how Scott’s Miracle Grow’s (NYSE:SMG) is investing $500 million in various cannabis related investments. Another indicator may be Microsoft’s partnership with Kind Financial to develop systems that may give government and other agencies the tools to monitor regulatory compliance.