One of the world’s top research universities, Oxford University, has received £10 million pounds ($16.4 million CAD) from a London-based private equity firm to study the medical benefits of cannabis, a move that could lead to more acceptance of MMJ as a medicinal therapy worldwide.
Oxford will use the money to identify state-of-the-art medical therapy by researching the molecular, cellular and system mechanisms of cannabinoids. The program aims to develop new therapies for acute and chronic conditions including pain, cancer and inflammatory disease.
“Cannabinoid research has started to produce exciting biological discoveries and this research program is a timely opportunity to increase our understanding of role of cannabinoids in health and disease,” said Professor Ahmed Ahmed of the university’s Gynaecological Oncology department. “This field holds great promise for developing novel therapeutic opportunities for cancer patients.”
Oxford and Kingsley will host an International Cannabinoid Biomedicine Conference, designed to increase dialogue in the cannabinoid research space, the first of which will take place in Q4 2017. This strategic partnership aims to turn Oxford and OCT into a global centre of excellence in cannabinoid research.
Associate Professor in Clinical Neurosciences, Zameel Cader said: “Endocannabinoid signalling is increasingly recognised as fundamentally important in the development and function of the nervous system. This exciting programme of work has the potential to lead to the development of novel therapies for neurological disorders.”