USA: National Cancer Institute holds symposium on medical cannabis

After the federal decriminalization of cannabis was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month, the National Cancer Institute of the United States of America (USA) announced that it will hold a conference on research into the use of cannabis as a therapeutic treatment for cancer. The event takes place from the 15th to the 18th of December and also involves the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The event, which deals with the theme of cancer and cannabis, started today and is organized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a federal health agency whose area of ​​focus is oncology. The “National Cancer Institute, Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Cancer Research Symposium” runs online from December 15th to 18th.

According to the NCI website, “This workshop will highlight the state of the science on cannabis, its chemical constituents (e.g. cannabinoids) and cancer research, including cancer epidemiology, use in cancer patients, biology and prevention of cancer. cancer, preclinical and clinical symptomatology of cancer and management of treatment side effects, as well as the use of cannabis and cannabinoids as cancer therapy.”

Among the topics scheduled for panel discussions are the “potential clinical implications of cannabis legalization efforts, risks and benefits of cannabis use for cancer patients, the function of the endocannabinoid system with respect to cancer-related pain, and how cannabis affects appetite, nausea, vomiting and neuropathic pain in patients.”

In addition, the workshop will also address “current barriers to research and strategies to overcome these obstacles, to ensure the feasibility of rigorous studies designed to address gaps in knowledge, as well as the potential for research opportunities in the area of ​​cancer and cannabis. ”

Guest speakers include internationally recognized academic researchers and regulatory experts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the FDA.

This is the latest in a series of cannabis events that the FDA has participated in. In January, the FDA approved a cocaine nasal spray and granted early, albeit limited, approval for MDMA as a drug. In April, the agency acknowledged that there is no evidence to link vaping to the risks of coronavirus. In August, the FDA announced that it would hire thousands of people to test cannabis products. Finally, in November, the FDA's Office of Women's Health held a public symposium on CBD and gender.

Planning Committee of the National Cancer Institute:

• Samantha Ammons, MPH, Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS)
• Alexis Bakos, Ph.D., MPH, RN , Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP)
• Gary L. Ellison, Ph.D., MPH, EGRP, DCCPS
• Andrew N. Freedman, Ph.D., EGRP, DCCPS
• Rachel Grana Mayne, Ph.D., MPH, Behavioral Research Program, DCCPS
• Ron Johnson, Ph.D., Division of DNA and Aberrant Chromosomes, Division of Cancer Biology
• Sharon Ross, Ph.D., MPH, Nutritional Sciences Research Group, DCP
• Alejandro Salicrup, Ph.D., Division of Public Health, Networks and Research, Center for Global Health and Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicines for Cancer, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, DCTD
• Jeffrey White, MD, Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicines for Cancer, DCTD

The official program of the event can be consulted here.