Item List

Certification course in the Endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic targets MBBS/BHMS/BAMS enhanced training to practice medical cannabis Academy of Cannabinoids (An initiative of Dr. Sayed Tahir) is revolutionising the space of medical cannabis in India. We are committed to increasing awareness among the doctors and general masses. We are combining the existing literature with our extensive clinical knowledge to encourage the best outcomes. We are excited to announce the next certification program. A quick overview of why this program is s beneficial to the practicing fraternity: 1. Understanding the Endo-cannabinoid system in detail 2. Understanding therapeutic scope and application 3. Patient management 4. Hand-holding or support for building confidence in prescribing 5. Access to a community of practitioners Feedback from past CMEs that happened in Mumbai and Ahmedabad After training over 50 doctors to prescribe cannabis-based medicines, this is what the doctors have to say about this program: 1. Felt very confident in prescribing 2. On-going support was very helpful in overcoming initial apprehensions 3. Integrated well into their existing practice Program Design: 18-hours of course content spread over 3 months On-going support to doctors for prescribing during first 3 months Online self-assessment exam at the end of 3 months followed by submission of clinical cases. Enroll Now Contact us through Whatsapp: +919096350273 or Email: drshrutisridhar@gmail.com as soon as possible . Deadline: 20/01/2023 for registration. Program starts: 21/01/2023

Elevate wellness had organized a CME for oncologists and pain specialists in Ahmedabad via Academy of Cannabinoids, India. Dr. Tahir (general physician), Dr. Shruti (general physician) and Ms. Deepti (founder of Cannabryl) spoke about various aspects of the same. The topics included the basics of endo-cannabinoid system (ECS), interaction of ECS in pain and cancer, clinical use and legalities. The talks were very well received and was attended by some very senior and eminent figures in the field of oncology and pain medicine. Dr. Pramod Kumar, now retired pain specialist who brought morphine to India, graced the occasion with his presence. It was humbling to see the support that medical cannabis received within the medical community. This is the beginning of cannabis being recognized as an approved medicine for various conditions. Thanks to DD Gujarat for covering first of its kind #CME on CB Din pain and palliative care in oncologyorganized by Elevate wellness, #Cannabryl and #AcademyofCannabinoids on medicinal Cannabis use for #oncologists in #Ahmedabad.

As a Doctor who incorporates medical cannabis into our practice, can clearly see why cannabis is not coming forth as a recognized medical treatment yet. Few reasons being Manufacturers are promoting the medicine as a wellness tool and people are self-medicating because of lack of trained physicians. In this confusion, the consumers (patients) are either not getting benefitted (due to lack of proper medical assessment/ advice) or are experiencing serious side effects. Dr. Tahir, in this video has eloquently expressed this concern, and warned against self-medication or using black-market cannabis products .

I like to call cannabis as the “black-sheep” of drugs. It is unique in so many ways that medical science has only just caught up with its complexity. This is why when people ask me "will CBD help or THC help me" , I am baffled as to how to reply to this question. All drugs usually have one active molecule and certain pathways that are concrete and identifiable. Cannabis, however, has more than 140 active molecules belonging to different categories. They all work on various receptors and pathways. The term “entourage effect” is being used to elucidate this complexity where the sum of its effects is different to the individual effects of the active molecules. Other than cannabinoids, there are terpenes and flavonoids which also exert physiological effects. The medicinal effect of the plant lies in its full spectrum use. When studies are done using isolated molecules like CBD or THC, the results are either not significant or the adverse effects are unacceptable. Using a full spectrum oil (without isolating certain molecules) can show a better result. More studies that use full-spectrum cannabis extracts are required. If you are researcher/manufacturer who wants to go for clinical trials please contact me. I am open to collaborate on the research aspect of CBD along with the medical fraternity to bring out all the possible scientific backing for this "black sheep".

If you do a google search for cannabis and health problems, you only see polarized information on the internet. One side has elevated it to a “miracle cure” and the other side has vilified it for its negative effects. The truth, however, lies somewhere in between. Cannabis is placed uniquely because it is one of the very few plants that acts on the endo-cannabinoid system (ECS). This is a relatively new discovery. Where we have known how plants like poppy (opium) act on our body since the last 150 years, we have known about cannabis only since last 30 years. Since it acts on ECS, it potentially has multiple clinical uses, which elevated its status to a miracle drug. Human trials using cannabis are showing slightly different results. If you take chronic pain, for example, a sizable population is using it for pain relief. However, only a percentage of that (30-70 percent) is experiencing reduction in pain. Roughly one-third of them are not experiencing pain relief. The following reasons can be attributed to this: Firstly, no drug is 100 percent effective , hence it should not come as a surprise that this isn’t either. Any drug for chronic pain like morphine, COX-inhibitors, etc. will have a failure rate. Secondly, India doesn’t have a standardization protocol and the quality checks with the manufacturing companies are approximate at best. India doesn’t have standardized raw material procuring process either, which makes the initial biomass highly variable in its potency. The extraction process also varies among manufacturers and cannabis being a sensitive plant, shows variable results. Due this heterogeneity, sometimes changing brands can show different results. Thirdly, there is no universally accepted dose . Dose-titration is a norm with cannabis, as is with morphine. This type of dosing is very new to patients and doctors and hence requires educating them on the same. Fourthly, all drugs have one active molecule, but cannabis has more than 100 active molecules and this increases the complexity of its clinical use . While this complexity is part of the reason for its unique clinical effects, it is also the reason why some effects cannot be fully understood or explained. More research in this area is the need of the hour. Lastly, adjusting patient expectations . Most of the patients turn to medical cannabis only when all other routes have been exhausted. In such a situation, one cannot help but get hopeful that this might do the miracle for them. So, when patients ask questions like “will this cure my cancer?” or “will this cure my pain?”, the answer can never be an emphatic yes. The clinical picture is more nuanced and this has to be understood by both the patient and the doctor. In summary, medical cannabis is still in its infancy . There is a huge body of evidence to support its use but clinical effects are nuanced and yet to be fully understood. It can be a miracle drug for someone and yet not show any clinical effects in another. This dichotomy needs to be accepted and addressed.

Dr. Sayed Tahir Hassan will be giving a keynote talk in the India Hemp Expo 2023 that will be happening in Mumbai on 25/02/2023.

This interview is very close to my heart because the girl I spoke about in the article is the reason why I dived deep into medical cannabis. Certain conditions like Leukodystrophies, brain matter degeneration, brain inflammation, etc. have no cure. But CBD oil has the potential to slow down the pace of the disease and, in some cases, even reverse the effects of brain damage. I have personally used it for strokes, hypoxic encephalopathy in infants (lack of oxygen to the brain during birth), dementia and I have seen some really good changes in these patients. The anti-inflammatory power of CBD oil coupled with the neuroprotective effects and modulation of the endo-cannabinoid system, has a huge potential in treating such conditions. In English https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/medical-cannabis-hits-high-notes-for-pain-management-rare-diseases/articleshow/96139125.cms?from=mdr In hindi in Navabarath times https://navbharattimes-indiatimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/india/health-news-cannabis-is-proving-to-be-a-panacea-for-relieving-pain-and-treating-rare-diseases/amp_articleshow/96152735.cms

One of the main road blocks in widespread medical cannabis use is its cost. For serious ailments like cancer, the cost of medical cannabis is a fraction of the cost of the entire treatment. However, for milder conditions like anxiety, chronic pain, arthritis, etc. the cost can be 5-6 times higher than conventional treatment. The following reasons can be attributed to its high costs and if these are controlled, the retail price can be within the affordable range. Expensive biomass: India has legalized only the use of leaves for the extracting the oil. However, leaves are less potent and contain a lower percentage of cannabinoids and thus require a longer extraction process. If buds and resins are permitted for medical use, the cost of the raw material will be fraction of the current cost. This itself can reduce the MRP considerably. Lack of insurance coverage/ government subsidies: For many treatments, insurance and government subsidies help people afford them. For medical cannabis, neither insurance nor medical subsidies are available. Lack of demand: The awareness about medical cannabis use is lacking in both doctors and patients alike. Thus, the market demand for the medicine is low and the MRP is increased to cover their manufacturing costs. Lack of interest within the pharmaceutical companies: Medical cannabis is in its infancy, and to take it from here to its clinical acceptance requires money and experience. Bigger pharmaceutical companies have the resources and expertise required to bring this under standardization.

CBM is relatively a new entrant into the pharmaceutical market and it is unique because of the fact that the natural extract doesn’t have one but multiple active (therapeutic) molecules. The clinical application also varies considerably and it shows high individual variability in terms of dosage, absorption, therapeutic effects, side-effects and tolerability. Unlike most pharmaceutical drugs, clinical trials for CBM are not readily available since the legalization of medical cannabis has only begun after 2017 in most countries. As clinicians, we have to rely a lot on the understanding of the endo-cannabinoid system , pre-clinical trials and lab studies to decide whether CBMs will be helpful in a particular case or not. Once the therapeutic judgement is sound, then the dosages, formulations and route of administration has to be tweaked as the treatment progresses. There are no short-cuts here unfortunately. If you feel a protocol is not working or is having adverse effects on you, please discuss it with your doctor first. Some reasons as to why CBMs are not working for you:  Your diagnosis could be incorrect  Your diagnosis is correct but Endo-cannabinoid system modulation has nothing to do with your current condition and hence CBMs are not helping you.  CBMs need to be integrated with other medicines to help you with your recovery.  Lifestyle changes have not been addressed (consuming junk food or staying awake at night etc.)  Wrong formulation has been chosen or the quality of the product is not good.  Your diagnosis is very advanced and recovery might be impossible (severe bone degeneration or stage 4 cancer with poor prognosis). In these cases, it can help improve quality of life only rather than disease/ symptom control.  Personal stress or situational stress is much higher than what your body or the medicines can cope with. I am also trying to establish research collaboration with universities and medical fraternities in progressing the use of CBMs. If you are a doctor who is associated with university or specializing in any of the following area please feel free to approach me. #PainManagement #Oncologist #Endocrinologist #Psyciatrist # Diabetologist #Rheumatologist

Doordarshan maharashtra covered us in aapla maharashtra program on the public event conducted in mumbai. Sincere thanks for them to spread the awareness to the nook and corner of the state of our own medicinal herb "Bhaang". Cannazoa India organized a general awareness talk in Mumbai which was attended by doctors and general public. The aim of this talk was to raise awareness about CBD, how and why it works. The talk raised interests of many and was also covered by the Times of India (TOI) and DD news Maharashtra.