Clover Leaf University has approved an occupational program focused on the cannabis industry, and Flowering H.O.P.E. Foundation, a Colorado based nonprofit, on Monday announced a joint program to conduct a clinical study on the high-CBD epilepsy therapy known as Haleigh’s Hope™.
The study, scheduled to begin this fall, will examine the safety of Haleigh’s Hope for use in treating childhood epilepsy. The study is slated to work with 50 patients over the course of the trial. According to the strain’s developer Jason Cranford, Haleigh’s Hope has been used effectively to reduce the symptoms of epilepsy in more than 300 children nationwide.
Over the past four years, Cranford has successfully bred and produced a 95 percent CBD plant that has been verified through two independent labs. He has developed several CBD rich infused products including Haleigh’s Hope™ and Cannatol™.
“The United States is severely lacking in clinical research on the safety, efficacy and impact of medical marijuana on specific disease states,” Cranford said. “While there is a massive amount of anecdotal evidence on the role high-CBD, low-THC, treatments such as Haleigh’s Hope have on diseases such as childhood epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and even cancer; there are no peer reviewed published clinical trials in the U.S. on this type of therapy using whole plant cannabis extract.
“This is the first study of its kind and we expect the program will be completed quickly and successfully,” Cranford said.
The group intends to apply for a grant to fund the study, which will be performed by Colorado licensed physicians, epitologists and pediatric neurologists.
“This is the first study conducted by Clover Leaf University,” said Chloe Villano, founder and president of Clover Leaf University. “Our institute of higher learning is dedicated to advancing the rigorous study of medical cannabis and we believe the work we are doing with Haleigh’s Hope™ will be truly ground breaking.”