Image from Canadian Freinds of Hebrew University
Dubbed as the “Father of Cannabis Research,” Dr. Raphael Mechoulam shared his latest discovery to the world just a couple of months ago. The discovery has sparked plenty of excitement from the medical cannabis industry. Some say that with this breakthrough, the future of medicinal cannabis is undoubtedly secured.
Given the name of EPM301, it is synthetic cannabis made of 100% stable acid-based cannabinoid molecules that Dr. Mechoulam discovered in partnership with EPM, a U.S.-based global biotechnology company. It has a scientific name of Cannabidiolic Acid Methyl Ester and can be used as alternatives for certain types of drugs. Let’s have a better look of EPM301 and find out how promising it can be.
The Discovery of EPM301
Dr Mechoulam explains that everything started when “EPM developed a method to work with the original substances of cannabis.”He adds that “Originally, there is an acid that appears in the plant, and those acids are these mysterious worlds of compounds that are much more potent than cannabinoids.” The method lets scientists rework the acids found in the plants to make them stable enough for extensive use.
Reshaf Swisa, CEO of EPM, reveals a little bit of the process by explaining that they were able to stabilize the compound via esterification—a chemical procedure that induces a reaction between an alcohol and an acid to yield ester or water. He then expounds it by saying that the team began to observe the compound’s activities and found it to be useful in suppressing nausea and anxiety. According to Swisa, this means that the compound could be of huge help for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and patients suffering from Psoriasis or IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).
Dr Mecholaum’s Thoughts on EPM301
At 88 years old, one would think that Dr Mecholaum would’ve been retired for a long time. After all, his discovery of the human endocannabinoid system and the cannabis plant’s active compounds during the 1960s, while he was still working at the Weizmann Institute, was considered to be more than good enough. But the good old researcher simply couldn’t stay away from the laboratory, a passion which ultimately led him to the discovery of EPM301.
According to Dr Mecholaum, the cannabidiolic acid in EPM301 is far more potent than THC or CBD, and it has no known negative side effects. Dr Mecholaum also believes that we badly need new medicines for various diseases, and that the newly discovered synthetic cannabis is the perfect opportunity for new ones. He says “We have two groups of compounds today that need to have a replacement: these are steroids and opioids,” and adds that “We believe that cannabis carries the ability to introduce replacements to these families.”
Replacing Opioids and Steroids
In search of evidence that can prove EPM301 has the capability to become an alternative for opioids and steroids, Dr Mecholaum and his team ran some tests, and discovered astonishing results. He explains that they compared EPM301 not only to cannabinoids, but also to the existing drugs in question. He and his team were proven to be successful, saying that “...in both of them, we managed to prove that the activity of our compound is very similar to the common one.”
Things are truly looking up for the medical cannabis industry, and with the advent of the synthetic cannabis EPM301, the future for manufacturers, businesses, pharmaceuticals, and especially for patients, looks very promising.
If you want to read more about EPM301, The GrowthOp’s article titled Newly-Discovered Cannabis Compound Stronger than THC and CBD is a good source of information. You can also check out the YouTube video titled New discovery! More potent than CBD, THC. by CBD Examine, if you prefer.