Clinically professional but welcoming and accessible in user-design and functionality, the Cannacopeia^™ will be seen and used as those requiring a deeper insight into Cannabis and its medical uses.

 

Cannabis is a complex flowering plant of the Cannabacae family, a plant that mutates and changes over time, a fact that makes measurement and analysis challenging. This challenges not only the medical community and policy makers, but also the general public, medical, researchers and governmental understanding of the nature and potential uses of the plant.

 

Cannabis, or Cannabis Sativa L, is the common name of a complex flowering plant of the Cannabises family, which has two distinctive sub-species varieties: One variety is commonly called “marijuana” or “marihuana” and most well-known for its psychoactive properties; and the other is commonly referred to as “hemp” or the Indica variety, which is known for its industrial- use due to its tall, sturdy stalk and nutritional utility. Despite their distinctive differences, both varieties of cannabis have important medical applications that have been well-documented through scientific study.

 

Due to the fact that all varieties of cannabis are deemed by the Federal government to be illegal Schedule 1 Controlled Substances under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, defined as drugs that have no medical utility and high potential for abuse, institutional medical and academic study has been largely prohibited. Therefore, study and documentation of phyto-chemical activity, molecular composition and corresponding medical applications have been restricted, and understanding of the nature and potential uses of the plant are limited.

 

With more than half of the United States (28 states and the District of Columbia) now regulating marijuana for medical and/or adult use, state laws have allowed for more scientific research and clinical study using human subjects. However, laws about cultivation and medical use vary state by state. Thus, there is little consistency in practical research, cultivation documentation and medical applications across state lines. Clinical researchers are conducting studies limited to laws, subjects and participants within their own state borders. Cultivators are splicing and cross- breeding new strains and producing a wide variety plant hybrids with varying degrees of psychoactivity and medical cannabinoids compliant with state regulations. Formulators are producing a wide variety of medicinal and recreational use products, which may or may not be available for use of study outside of their own states’ borders.

 

The lack of any inter-state coordination, standardization or nationally-accessible database poses a conundrum for scientists, medical practitioners, national policy makers and end users in the public who need consistent information about cannabis and its effect on human health to make important decisions impacting general health, policy and society at large. The rate at which cannabis can be cross-bred and mutated over time poses a greater challenge and exemplifies the dire need for consistent data that transcend state lines.

 

 

Vitreon America, which has developed the world’s most comprehensive botanical database under the direction of acclaimed botanist, Dr. James Duke, and other scientific contributors, has become aware of this problem and is developing a sister database, which will focus on the botanical properties of all species and sub-species of plants in the Cannabises family. Named Cannacopeia™, this database will consolidate and archive information and data on all strains, sub-species and hybrid varieties of marijuana and hemp, including identification of all phyto- nutrients and molecular properties, their practical applications and medical utility and available, relevant research documentation and academic or clinical studies.

 

One important aspect of the Cannacopeia^™ is that it will perform surveillance and provide specific information regarding modifications occurring during the cultivation and strain development process in all states, existing developments of formulations created for medical and psychoactive utility and examination of plant-strain characteristics including molecular components, cannabinoids and their corresponding Phyto-chemicals, terpenoids, flavonoids and other distinctive nutrients. Cannacopeia™ will also provide a means of standardizing information about all the botanical aspects and related utility of cannabis for medical, industrial, social and scientific benefit. This will provide medical professionals, researchers, legislators and policy makers, consumers and other target groups with an ongoing ‘ of the state of Cannabis at any given point in time.

 

Directed towards several targets groups that include physicians and consumers at large, there will be several different levels of access. The scope of the access levels and the content will be determined as part of the detailed web spec development.

 

For the medical or industry professionals, including physicians, administrators, medical industry personnel, researchers and others who require a solid medical insight into Cannabis, its uses and its potential as well as the ability to look deeper into chemicals, activity, dosage and other variables, the Professional Cannacopeia™ will address their needs.

 

The Professional Cannacopeia™ will cross-reference with actives and indications, with detail provided in each entry and cross-reference features enabling navigate between chemicals, activity, dosage and other variables. The search feature must be user-friendly and general layout is easy to navigate. For a point of reference, see the Botanicopeia©

 

- For patients or other interested parties, the will be geared toward the those interested in holistic healing but not educated in the field of medicine, chemistry or botanical sciences, providing detail to help him or her understand the meaning of the information provided within the database.

- The Consumer Cannacopeia™ will provide general information regarding terms and definitions related to Cannabis, cross-referencing different medical conditions with the potential and proven studies that have been found related to medical Cannabis.

 

- The Consumer Cannacopeia™ will provide medical information, not with the intention to lead the consumer to self-diagnosis, but to empower the consumer to ask the right questions to physicians and other medical personnel.

 

 

The consumer portal needs to be highly engaging and appeal to consumers that might be intimidated by very technical, scientific terms. We may want to incorporate a week-long free trial to get them hooked on the data. In terms of general non-subscription information available on the Cannacopeia™ website, this will include the following:

 

- : the visitor will be introduced Cannabis as a botanical and medicine to the users in a pedagogic and interesting way, perhaps with the use of a video, presentation, visuals. We will use this both to attract marginally interested people to come and look deeper, as well as to establish the credibility of the site.

 

- A Glossary designed to inform the Consumer and others regarding medical Cannabis.

- to partner organizations such as The Cannabis Reporter and potentially the Compassionate Care Clinics (CCC), Veterans for Compassionate Care (VFCC), etc.

- related to medical Cannabis.

 

The following is meant to provide a general overview of the Subscription elements to be included in the Cannacopeia™, to provide a basis for continued development of a detailed website and database specification

 

- Through the ASTM, the Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards (FOCUS) is working with policymakers and industry stakeholders to develop International standards for all aspects of the cannabis industry from cultivation to banking and everything in between. It might be a good idea to initiate discussions to ascertain synergies. In discussions with FOCUS principles, they have expressed intent to develop standards of plant strains and universal definitions. The Cannacopeia will help to guide these standards.

 

- A regarding state policy and regulations, the goal being to both educate the different target groups as well as to be a positive influencer in the development of a national Cannabis policy.

 

- The recent Casano shows, medical marijuana strains can vary greatly from one source to another, and even from one harvest to another. The Cannacopeia database needs to flex as more strains and sub-strains. Each new strain has its own common name. Early innovators began mutating strains with often-silly names that originated from marijuana sub-culturists. In the Botanicopeia database, the common name for all species of cannabis Sativa L is “cannabis” (or marijuana, marijuana, hemp, etc.). In the Cannacopeia database, it will be necessary to use these nicknames as patients are familiar with them.

 

- A common tool used by consumers and dispensary technicians is known as the flavor wheel. This information may be useful to incorporate into the Cannacopeia database. (image below published by Green House Seed Company.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

- : This section will be a combination of legal and practical information related to the use of Cannabis products. With cannabis, it is important for patients to know whether a compound or plant strain will “get them high” (or get them fired or arrested in certain states).

 

- This depends upon heat temperatures, fermentation, drying, oil extraction. It’s not enough for a patient to know that THC exists, it is important for a patient to know at which point it becomes psychoactive to decide on the compound used. For example, THC A has no psychotropic effect due to the way the plant was fermented. With such information, a patient can ascertain whether a product can be safely used at work or while driving.

 

- It would be ideal to list all indications for use. This section must be developed in close cooperation with Dr. Jim Duke or others who have the knowledge of Cannabis as a botanical, in cooperation with individuals who have knowledge of the current and potential medical uses and implementation.

- Unlike most pharmaceuticals, medical marijuana users rely upon information provided about terpenes when ascertaining which strain or extract will be most beneficial for their medical condition. Those with relatively high concentrations of specific terpenes are easier to identify by their smell than other strains. For example, varieties that smell of musk or of clove deliver sedative, relaxing effects (high level of the terpene myrcene); piney smells help promote mental alertness and memory retention (high level of the terpene pinene); and lemony aromas are favored for general uplift in mood and attitude (high level of limonene).

 

This is important to include because, when a patient researches strains to treat his or her condition, they take information to a dispensary. If terpenes aren’t labeled, the patient can use the information to select the right medicine.