Cannabis trade body will also focus on clinical trials

The Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) has announced plans to extend its remit to focus on clinical trials. The CMC, which describes itself as an industry advocacy group and think tank, said its plans to “actively engage industry players” in clinical trials focusing on childhood epilepsy and “all other non-paediatric potential deployments of cannabis, would help boost learning and accelerate patient access to medicines, as well as market authorisation for cannabis-based medical products.
The announcement comes after Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, told MPs that clinical trials were the only way to get medical cannabis products licenced; she called on industry to take the lead and also to fund them. The CMC said it wanted to expand its original remit — which focused on policy, research and advocacy  to now include accelerating clinical trials, shaping future regulation of products and to promote clinical education. Making the announcement, Steve Moore, its strategic counsel, said: “This immediately strengthens the CMC’s capacity to shape the future of medicinal cannabis in the UK.