Page 12 - Landscape SA 102

FEATURE

CANNABIS DOSING

AND OILS

In this ninth article on cannabis in Landscape SA, the topic
is dosing and oils. The information below was supplied by
Johann Slabber, executive director and head of business
development at Cilo Cybin Pharmaceutical.

t is easy to experience medical benefits therefore, that an end consumer may
from cannabis, for example a puff or two consume more alcohol, butane, ethanol
Iof tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or etc. than the actual product (cannabis)
cannabidiol (CBD) can do the trick for a lot they thought they had consumed, not to
of people. However, in terms of a medical mention the infusion of other ingredients
product one must look at the medical and/ added to the product. Thus, testing from
or pharmaceutical approach. laboratories, regulation and compliance
with pharmaceutical standards are crucial
It’s no longer a question of whether to ensure a safe product to the consumer
cannabis has medical value. Now it’s and to ensure that the same quality
more about figuring out how to regulate, of product can be produced again by medicine, working with professionals who
register and manufacture such products consistent production and manufacturing had experience with this, in particular Dr.
and provide a safe medical product to the practices. Leandro Ramirez, a highly experienced
end consumer. doctor in medical cannabis. After further
One also needs to understand the dosing study she began to prescribe THC and
For example, many people in the current of cannabis. Many research studies CBD, the latter having unique therapeutic
cannabis industry are cultivating it have shown that different strengths of potential and being essential for chronic
for personal use, and some are even cannabis oil, cultivars/strains and quantity pain, spasticity, dementia and cancer.
extracting oil from the cultivated material. of consumption may have different
This will then be supplied to friends, family effects on different conditions. Cilo Cybin She stresses that cannabis products
and even sold to people to treat various Pharmaceutical is working with a network should only be used under the guidance
conditions. The end consumer of these of specialists and doctors who have been and assistance of a qualified medical
products is not aware, and does not have treating patients for various conditions professional. The medication has the
any idea what the product they have using cannabis. potential to treat the patient, not only
been supplied with contains, nor what the symptoms. In one case study, a
process was used to make it. It is possible, As per the previous article in Landscape brain cancer patient of hers responded
SA Issue 100, Cilo Cybin Pharmaceutical positively to cannabis, after suffering
will manufacture oils under its Good post-surgery seizures. This enabled her to
Manufacturing Practice (GMP) license. suspend an anti-convulsant drug and she
Says Slabber: “We’ve acquired commercial believes the cannabis is also helping him
markets for export of medical grade to control the tumor lesion. “The patient
cannabis oil, as well as local supply to has been disease-free for just over three
the South African market. Manufactured years and is enjoying an excellent quality
products are strictly regulated as per the of life,” she says.
Medicines and Related Substances Control
Act, Act 101 of 1965. In another case, a patient with a long
history of back pain underwent hernial
The case for cannabis: a medical disc surgery, a lumbar spinal arthrodesis,
view further surgery and pain blocks. Thereafter,
Dr Montagner performed a sequence of
Dr Patricia Montagner, a Brazilian minimally invasive procedures for pain
neurosurgeon at the NeuroVinci Clinic and included cannabis in his treatment.
in Rio de Janeiro, works with a multi- After this, the patient reported a great
disciplinary team to treat patients with improvement in his condition.
severe neurological disorders, chronic
pain, cancer and degenerative spine “I became a better doctor and
diseases. She was not satisfied simply to neurosurgeon after bringing cannabis
prescribe pharmacological medication into my professional life and knowledge
and decided to look for alternatives, of it should be available to all doctors, as
wanting to help her patients who had not an alternative and therapeutic tool. My
improved after surgery. purpose is to share this knowledge, and
train doctors to use cannabis carefully
In 2015 she began studying the endo- and effectively. It has a transformative
cannabinoid system and cannabis as a potential in many situations,” she states. LSA

10 Landscape SA • Issue 102 2021