Group seeking to enrol 1,000 Canadian medical cannabis patients for observational study

December 3, 2024 | David Brown

Canadian cannabis company Avicanna recently announced their participation in an observational study looking at the potential therapeutic use of medical cannabis for issues like pain, sleep, anxiety, depression, and epilepsy.

The prospective, non-interventional, observational study, In collaboration with the University Health Network (UHN) will be led by Dr Hance Clarke, MD, FRCPC, PhD, the current president of The Canadian Pain Society and the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids. It will utilize information from Avicanna’s MyMedi.ca medical cannabis platform.

The group are seeking to enrol 1,000 patients from across Canada and gather information on people’s use of medical cannabis over a 24-week period, through a validated questionnaire.

The study was first started by Medical Cannabis by Shoppers. Avicanna acquired Shoppers’ medical platform in 2023, who committed to a continuation of care to the platforms’ patients and the advancement of medical research. The Ontario company’s medical cannabis care platform MyMedi.ca will provide the infrastructure for the research, patient support, and education for all participating health care practitioners nationwide.

Dr. Karolina Urban, Avicanna’s executive vice president of medical affairs, provided comment to StratCann via email about the study’s significance and its potential benefits for patients and Avicanna.

“We are supporting key opinion leaders, including Dr. Clarke and his team, in their efforts to generate much-needed evidence on the practical use of medical cannabis,” says Urban. “This research aims to uncover the potential benefits of medical cannabis and understand how we can better support Canadian patients. Additionally, such a study can help reduce the stigma associated with medical cannabis and promote its incorporation into standard care by educating reluctant healthcare professionals and insurance providers. The study also demonstrates the benefits of having a healthcare provider involved in the patient’s journey vs dispensaries.”

She adds that the study can also help Avicanna better understand medical cannabis users’ needs, as well as the challenges faced in supporting such research:

“The broad study design provides access to a variety of products, ranging from inhaled to oral delivery forms, and includes patients using medical cannabis for various conditions. The outcomes of the study may help guide future product development and research streams. In addition, [it] will lead to a better understanding of the potential benefits of medical cannabis across various patient demographics as age, gender, and reason for use.”

Participating patients will have access to the platform’s products from select licensed producers that are supporting the study.For more information you can go to the website, www.mcrwe.com, or contact the study coordinator at 416-340-4800 x 4251 or [email protected].