Part II – A Paradigm Shift
Cannabis is a historical commodity, yet there are unanswered questions about how to use it beneficially. Traditional clinical study approaches lack relevance. Normally, there would be expert guidance. But, because its long history of use was interrupted by an extended interval of prohibition, there is little guidance. The CESC, a Cannabis research organization, finds solutions using a paradigm shift.
Cannabis has been consumed for centuries as botanical medicine, social lubricant, and industrial resource. Everyday use of Cannabis spans from the expectation of general wellness to relief from disease symptoms. In retrospect, there is an abundance of information through current and historical use that can be sourced for the benefit of the industry.
Historians note that the Arab-Muslim world introduced the ritual of hash (a form of processed Cannabis Flower) consumption to the Christian world in the 18th century. By the 19th century, the existence of hash consumption lounges was well documented in Europe. As a medicine, hash was administered for everything from the plague to mental illness. European pharmacists and physicians formulated tinctures, lozenges, and even medicinal cigarettes containing hash. Although many treatments failed, some were successful, and lessons were learned from trial-and-error experimentation.
Much of that knowledge did not endure, and 20th-century Cannabis use expanded in clandestine fashion. Today, widespread consumption occurs in the absence of informative clinical information.
Terrance Alan, owner of Flore, one of San Francisco’s newest Cannabis dispensaries, agrees to do it differently. “Our community knows what works for them,” says Mr. Alan. “Our job is to pair science with community wisdom to offer the best Cannabis products.”
Flore has teamed with the CESC to source data from its community. The CESC’s Dosing Project uses an observational study design incorporating artificial intelligence (machine learning) to determine safe and effective Cannabis product dosages.“We designed a study that listens to your observations of using Cannabis products and makes your experience part of our research,” explains Dr. John Abrams, co-founder of the CESC.
The CESC works with partners like Flore dispensary and with licensed Cannabis analytical labs like Veda Scientific, to move the science of Cannabis forward. Community involvement is key to Cannabis research. Using observational data analysis, the CESC has uncovered clues to the “Sativa” vs “Indica” dilemma. It has discovered something users have known all along; Cannabis has a very particular set of aromas based on terpenes, esters, and sulfur-containing compounds. The CESC is leveling up with the discovery that those smells may impact the effects felt by you when using cannabis. Cool right!? Applying new and ongoing developments in data science is a scientific paradigm shift that offers a promising future for Cannabis products.
The CESC seeks community support for its ongoing investigations.
For more information visit the CESC at www.thecesc.org.
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