Viola Brugnatelli: “It is possible that, in 20 years, cannabis as a plant will be just part of a consumer goods market”

Viola Brugnatelli's passion for scientific research and dissemination dates back to 1700, when her ancestor Luigi Valentino Brugnatelli launched the first scientific journals in Italy, but deepened with the death of her sister, at the age of 17. Viola began working as a cannabis neuropharmacologist in 2012, investigating new cannabinoid receptors at the NHS Ninewells Hospital in Scotland. Tomorrow, March 13th, Viola opens her doors CDays with the presentation “Medicinal Cannabis: Science and Evidence”, in a day full of lectures, organized by CannabisHub at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. CDays kick off a week that hosts several events in the cannabis area, such as Spannabis and ICBC.

Co-founder of Cannabiscienza, in Italy, and the Cannabiscientia, in Switzerland, and researcher at the Department of Neurosciences at the University of Padua (Italy) on the endocannabinoid system and pain, Viola Brugnatelli is a member of the editorial board of the Cannabinoid Medical Journal. Viola graduated with honors in Neuroscience from the University of Dundee (Scotland) in 2013, and continued with research into the anti-inflammatory activity of CBD and cannabis terpenes at University College Dublin (Ireland). Since 2017, she has been teaching the postgraduate course on Medicinal Cannabis at the University of Padua, where she also teaches the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cannabis to 6th year medical students. Italian ambassador for the International Association of Cannabinoid Medicine (IACM) and member of the scientific council of Fundación Canna, Viola is today one of the most prominent researchers in the field of cannabis at an international level, having already published several studies. In 2023 she published the book Principles of Clinical Cannabinology, in partnership with researcher Fabio Turco, in addition to other manuals in the area, such as Neuro-Gastro Cannabinology ou Cannabinoid Purification, Concentration, Isolation and Analysis Processes.

We spoke with Viola Brugnatelli to learn a little better about her work and find out where scientific research is in the area of ​​cannabis and cannabinoids.

Viola, you are one of the most recognized researchers in the field of cannabis, not only in Italy, but also internationally. When did you start working with cannabis and why did you choose this area?
I started working “with cannabis” much more recently. For many years my only area of ​​specialization was the Endocannabinoid System and not the plant. My first salary as a cannabinoid scientist was officially in 2012, when I released my beginner's luck dice to the scientific community at ICRS in Fribourg. I chose to work in this area for several reasons and what kept me going in the most difficult times was always seeing a different perspective for patients. I witnessed the death of my own sister at just 17 years old, due to chemotherapy, without being able to use any plant support. I grew up knowing that a healthy, bright and beautiful young woman, full of potential, can suddenly become gray and just a name in a cemetery. This quickly made me realize that life is precious and that healthcare systems can do their best to help us preserve it, but they often fail, even when they help us achieve good quality while we are in the disease process. . And that healthcare can and should constantly improve. So I wanted to see how I could do my part in this.

What is the main focus of your research and what were the most important discoveries you made?
Right now, we have been exploring an area of ​​“neuro-gastro-cannabinology” as we examine through the lens of the endocannabinoidome the deep connection between our early traumas, the control of stress and a multitude of symptoms ranging from visceral pain to anxiety-induced dysbiosis. We published a study on the Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Manipulation of the endocannabinoid system as first-line treatment and another on Neuro-Gastro-Cannabinology: A New Paradigm for Regulating Mood and Digestive Health.

What other studies have you published and where?
Most of my basic research work on cannabinoid receptor deorphanization was funded by a biotechnology company and has been archived as proprietary data. Since collaborating with the University Hospital of Padua I have published more clinical reviews, such as The Analgesic and Antidepressant Effects of Clinical Glutamate Modulators Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Ketamine or Lifestyle interventions that improve cannabinoid tone during COVID-19 lockdowns may increase compliance with preventative regulations and decrease psychophysical health complications.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in your career?
Make cannabis companies understand that they cannot operate in a regulated medical market in the same way as they would in a consumer goods market. Gain the trust of investors who understand the medium to long-term returns for the medical/pharmaceutical space, rather than being surprised by quick and precarious short-term returns from unregulated gap-filling companies.

How did the decision to publish the book Principles of Clinical Cannabinology  came about and how long did it take to prepare it?
? The book is the physical manifestation of a healthcare need: to ease the doctor's path through the prescribing process, while supporting patients and the industry, all in one place. The book was the result of years of work, together with the scientific director, Dr. Fabio Turco, and a few more months of fantastic collaboration with the Prohibition Partners team, as well as a group of doctors from around the world. Last year, Dr. Sandra Carrillo, Dr. Janosch Kratz, Dr. Carlo Privitera, Dr. Jean Claude Scicluna, Dr. Marcello Albanesi, Dr. Wendy Holden, Dr. Mauro Cardoso Lins, Dr. Mery Pena Guzman and Dr. Valeria Giorgi contributed to the book by sharing their case studies with us.

Who is the book for and what can people expect to learn from it?
The book is aimed at European Union (EU) doctors/prescribers, but is very useful for many EU groups or companies trying to understand how it works in each country, sales and strategy people who can easily compare products present in the EU medical market, patients and caregivers, lawyers and anyone interested in having at their fingertips all verified information on science, medicine and market information in the EU medical space.

You are also a teacher. Do you think the new generations are more open to a subject like medicinal cannabis?
Yes, I have been teaching since 2016 to undergraduate and postgraduate students. I don't find any generational difference regarding the topic.

How do you think cannabis will affect the future of Medicine?
The entry and permanence of cannabis in the field of medicine will change pharmacology to a more network/polypharmacology concept, while we can treat a person in their complexity, connecting body and mind, managing symptoms and addressing root causes.

In terms of patient access and training of healthcare professionals, what is the current situation in Italy?
In 2018 I opened a company called Cannabiscienza in Italy, which still operates as a single agent for consistent and continuous training and education in health. Thanks to this, over the years we have started a series of initiatives in Universities and public hospitals that are little by little changing the approach towards plant medicines, such as cannabis therapy. There is still a long way to go, but there are good possibilities for patient access, probably one of the best in Europe.

Cannabis is evolving slowly in Europe, compared to Canada or some US states. How do you see the current situation in Europe and what are your expectations for the full legalization of the plant?
Cannabis as a consumer good is certainly slower in the EU, but on the other hand, some countries in Europe have better medical laws than the USA and Canada, because in no country in North America is cannabis-based therapy provided. by hospitals with taxpayers' money, while this is happening in some European countries. As things stand, for which cannabis companies have full responsibility, it is possible that we will see a scenario in 20 years where cannabis as a plant will only be part of a consumer goods market and some molecules of this plant will be part of pharmaceutical formulations, made available by the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology companies.
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[Disclaimer: Please note that this text was originally written in Portuguese and is translated into English and other languages ​​using an automatic translator. Some words may differ from the original and typos or errors may appear in other languages.]