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news.US-based Plandai Biotechnology has filed a petition with the Attorney General from the South African Department of Health to secure a license permitting the company to start clinical research on the therapeutic and medicinal benefits of cannabis.
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The petition was made pursuant to Section 22A of the Medicines and Related Substances Act No. 101 of 1965, which provides for pharmaceutical research with cannabis.
Apart from the medical benefits of cannabis, such as reducing nausea, improving appetite and reducing anxiety, cannabinoids have shown promise in multiple studies for treating various cancers, epilepsy, pain relief, and in neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia and Multiple Sclerosis.
Legal limitations, however, have prevented researchers from carrying out thorough double-blind clinical trials on these and other potential medical applications of cannabis.
By securing a research license in South Africa, the company hopes to test its Phytofare Cannabinoid Extract at several qualified university research facilities with the goal of eventually obtaining solid human clinical data and government drug acceptance in the US and elsewhere.
Plandaí vice president of Marketing Jamen Shively said as a society, the company has relied far too long on anecdotal evidence and the few limited trials that have taken place involving medical marijuana.
"Plandaí is committed to bringing cannabis research to the forefront as a potential treatment or cure for various diseases and conditions," Shively said.
"We believe solid research, conducted under full legal authority by top independent facilities, is the key to ending prohibition and allowing patients to benefit from the medical benefits of marijuana without feeling like criminals or addicts."
The company’s live-plant extraction process recovers phytonutrients from plant material in a mainly nano particle form and rearranges the antioxidants (polyenes) into a format bio-compatible with humans and animals.