CannMed’s 2022 Conference Further Promotes Mission to Inspire Science, Community, and Hope
CannMed held their 2022 medical practicum and science conference in Pasadena, California from May 3 – 5.
CannMed held their 2022 annual conference in Pasadena, California from May 3–5. The event, fully in person, included a full-day medical practicum workshop, dozens of exhibitors, and thought-provoking keynote presentations in the four focus areas of medicine, science, cultivation, and safety. Attendees and presenters had the chance to network and mingle at the VIP dinner and the cocktail hour. Several presenters and guests were interviewed throughout the conference the at the CannMed Coffee Talk Lounge, including Megan L’Heureux, Group Editorial Director for Cannabis Science and Technology® and Cannabis Patient Care® magazines.
A few interesting talks to note included the presentation by Jaime Brambila of Grace Health and Wellness titled “Raising Awareness: The Successful Implementation of Natural Plant Based Medicines Used as Adjunct Therapies with Standard Treatments for Metastatic Breast Cancer.” Brambila shared his wife, Nicole DiMonda’s, personal journey through cancer treatment and the success she had with medical cannabis and psychedelics. At the end, DiMonda shared a passionate statement about how this industry helped save her life. DiMonda and Brambila have partnered with several universities and research groups to expand their experience into clinical trials for others.
In addition, Dr. Marion McNabb of the Cannabis Center of Excellence highlighted some of the initial findings from her healthcare provider study in which her company surveyed healthcare professionals across the country on their knowledge and interest surrounding medical cannabis. The study is still open to healthcare providers through August 2022. Some of Dr. McNabb’s initial findings include:
- 354 healthcare providers responded, the majority of whom were nurses
- 51% of respondents were women
- 42% of respondents also reported using medical cannabis themselves
- 37% believe cannabis can be a first line treatment
Alongside presentations on the medical aspects of cannabis, there were also many talks on the latest advancements in cultivation, testing, extraction, and research. Seth Crawford, co-founder of Oregon CBD, explained in his keynote address, “Cannabis 2022: The Golden Age of Discovery?” the methods of selective breeding of certain hemp plants on his farms, plus the potential innovations these seeds and plants can provide to farmers and researchers.
Grace Bandong, Scientific Strategy Leader for Contaminants for Eurofins Food Integrity and Innovations, gave another keynote presentation titled “Risk Based Hazards Analysis: A Tool for Building a Comprehensive Analytical Testing Program.” Bandong’s presentation explained how to create an effective yet economical risk-based framework of analysis of products, plus an explanation of the unexpected threats that hazards such as mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides can pose to products.
For more information on CannMed or to learn more about the talks and speakers from this year’s event, please visit: https://cannmedevents.com/cannmed-schedule/.
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.
Ep 24, Part I: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
November 21st 2024Evan Friedmann interviews Yasha Khan, co-founder of MCR Labs, about his journey into the cannabis industry and his efforts to promote transparency and integrity in laboratory practices. Yasha discusses the origins of MCR Labs, which began in Massachusetts to meet the needs of the soon-to-be legal medical cannabis market. He explains the challenges faced, including result manipulation by labs and the impact on public health. Yasha's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) project aimed to gather testing data from 37 states, revealed significant discrepancies in potency and mold results. Despite some states' reluctance to share data, Yasha has made much of this data public, leading to collaborative research and publications on various aspects of cannabis testing.
