In Campania the first experimental cultivation of therapeutic cannabis

Campania will be the first Italian region to start the experimental cultivation of therapeutic cannabis that will have a direct link with the Ministry of Health. In fact, the IZSM , the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, a national public body accredited for the determination of cannabinoids, to complete a process started several years ago, has established REICA , a multidisciplinary research center for the control, development and experimentation of cannabinoids .

The results of this long work process were presented last February 25 in Portici (NA) at the headquarters of the IZSM, in via Salute 2, during the press conference “Cannabinoids, Research, Health and Control”, chaired by Antonio Limone, Director General of the IZSM, Giuseppe Cannazza, of the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia; Maria Triassi, of the Department of Public Health – University of Naples “Federico II”; Gerardo Botti , Scientific Director of the National Cancer Institute IRCCS “Fondazione Pascale”; Lieutenant Colonel Vincenzo Maresca, Commander of the Health Protection Group of the Carabinieri; General Ciro Lungo , Commander of the Carabinieri Forestry Region of Campania and Germana Apuzzo, Director of the Central Office of Narcotics of the Ministry of Health.

THE PRESENTATION
Over ten years of work, 5,000 analyses carried out, 1,300 partner companies in the hemp supply chain, 7 research projects and the synergy of three research institutions such as the IZSM, IRCCS Pascale of Naples and the Federico II University.

“Ours was an exploratory approach driven by the desire to acquire and, consequently, disseminate knowledge on Cannabis-derived products and inflorescences. In continuity with the path undertaken and the expertise acquired, in August 2019 the IZSM received authorization from the Ministry of Health for the indoor cultivation of Cannabis with an unknown THC content for experimental purposes, ” commented Antonio Limone , “an essential basis for enriching and continuing all research activities in the agronomic, clinical, and genetic fields in the complex Cannabis universe. The support of scientific data obtained in clinical studies will be essential for providing and obtaining effective regulatory and legislative guidance.”

The goal is clear: to try to highlight the benefits associated with cannabis to make progress in the medical field , especially in the area of ​​oncological pathologies: "Although the use of Cannabis is consolidated in current clinical practice so much so that it can burden the Regional Health System, there is still a lack of scientific evidence on the associated benefits . - explains Gerardo Botti, Scientific Director of the National Cancer Institute IRCCS "Fondazione Pascale" - The partnership with the IZSM is strategic for the execution of clinical studies in the oncological field and beyond, also in light of the anti-neoplastic and immunomodulatory potential demonstrated by in vitro studies."

THE FIRST ESTABLISHMENTS
The IZSM will therefore conduct, in close collaboration with the Department of Public Health of the Federico II University of Naples and the IRCCS Pascale, clinical studies on the use of therapeutic cannabis for the treatment of various pathologies, including oncological ones, as adjuvants to immunotherapy treatments. The experimental cultivation of cannabis with THC for research purposes will be central thanks to the first indoor plants created in the city of Montecorvino Rovella , in the province of Salerno, with the aim of selecting therapeutic varieties for the Ministry of Health.

“In this sense – explain the cultivation managers Alfonso Gallo, Augusto Siciliano and Jacopo D'Auria – the multidisciplinary center acts as an operational arm for research and the dissemination of knowledge on cannabis at the service of the competent Ministries and legislators.”

THE HEMPEDOCLE STUDIO
To close the day of great news, together with the REICA reference center, “ Hempedocle” was also presented, a scientific study that aims to observe the biological, biochemical, psychological and neurological effects associated with the consumption of products derived from Cannabis, in relation to the different methods of intake. The project was born from the need to investigate the phenomenon, now expanding, of the consumption of products derived from Cannabis , on which today in Italy there is a lack of information and a regulatory vacuum, which affects consumers and owners of commercial establishments. The experimental design includes the inclusion of a total of 900 individuals selected for the habitual use of Cannabis derivatives. In particular, 3 cohorts of 300 individuals each will be selected, who habitually consume Cannabis derivatives for the following purposes: voluptuous through inhalation (cohort A); nutritional through consumption of foods prepared with Cannabis derivatives (cohort B); nutraceutical through integration with known doses of cannabinoids (cohort C).

The study will last 12 months and will include the observation of the recruited people in two distinct times: pre-hiring and post-hiring with the people involved who will be subjected to cognitive and psychological questionnaires, memory tests, motor control and the evaluation of visuo-spatial attention, together with biological tests carried out through the collection of blood, urine and saliva samples.

The results of the study will allow us to evaluate many parameters such as consumption habits of the population , neurological and psychological effects, biomarkers of effect and exposure, toxicity associated with the products and levels of cannabinoids present. A complete study therefore, on the phenomenon of consumption of Cannabis derivatives, whose results will be essential for a scientific analysis of its health, economic and social implications.