International group investigates efficacy of cannabis in migraine and rheumatism
The European Union funds an international research project on the efficacy of cannabis in migraine and rheumatoid arthritis with 1.5 million Euros (about 1.8 million US-Dollars).
University laboratories and companies from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and Finland participate in the project. Among them are institutes at the universities of London, Cordoba, Novara, Freiburg and Berne, as well as the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the Office for Medicinal Cannabis of the Dutch Health Ministry and the companies Cerebricon, VivaCell Biotechnology and William Ransom & Son. The project will be coordinated by Dr. Michael Heinrich, professor at the London School of Pharmacy.
On 15 to 17 June the group met in Freiburg, Germany for the first time since their kick-off meeting in London for exchange of initial results. Researchers plan to investigate three cannabis varieties, among them the two varieties that are already available in Dutch pharmacies. Within two years the scientists plan to develop cannabis extracts that will also be provided to other researchers for clinical studies.
(Press release by the University Hospital of Freiburg of 16 June 2005, personal communications)
