The Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC) Launches First-Ever Medical Cannabis Podcast Series

Aimed at physicians and patients, the series will run monthly throughout 2015

MONTREAL, Feb. 25, 2015 /CNW/ - A new and accessible tool is now available to assist patients science.

Produced by the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC), the monthly CCIC Podcast series will include in depth interviews with leading experts and opinion leaders in the world of medical cannabis and cannabinoids.  The podcast series will be made available on iTunes for easy downloading on a mobile device, as well as the CCIC and CannTrust websites.

The CCIC Podcast series is supported by a sponsorship, received from CannTrust Inc., a Canadian licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis.  

"Our vision at the CCIC is to advance the understanding of the role of cannabinoids in health and disease through research and education," says Dr. Mark Ware, MD, MRCP, MSc, Director of Clinical Research of the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at the McGill University Health Centre and executive director of the CCIC.  "By producing a series of podcasts with interviews from international experts, we hope to reach both physicians and patients alike who are interested in learning more about medical cannabis in a convenient and portable manner."

The inaugural CCIC Podcast is an interview between CCIC executive director Dr. Mark Ware with Dr. Igor Grant, the University of California at San Diego professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry.  Dr. Grant is director of the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program and Director of the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.

"In this first podcast Dr. Grant and I discuss the problems with medical cannabis access and the confusion surrounding its use," adds Dr. Ware.  "As Dr. Grant says: 'patients don't necessarily know what they are getting and physicians don't know exactly what they are prescribing".

Throughout 2015, the CCIC will produce twelve 10-minute CCIC Podcasts aimed at both physicians and patients who are interested in learning more about medical cannabis. The podcasts are easy to use and can be either listened to on a mobile device or desktop or read via podcast transcript. Podcasts and copies of the podcast transcripts are available on the CCIC and CannTrust websites as well as on iTunes.

"Working with Dr. Ware and the team of researchers and clinicians at the CCIC is crucial for the continued need to educate and inform patients and physicians interested in learning more about medical cannabis use," says Norman Paul, Chairman of CannTrust. "Having worked in the health care field for more than 40 years, my team and I are well aware of the need for quality patient and physician education.  Sponsoring groups like the CCIC is the right approach to ensure quality education is provided to health care providers and patients in need alike."

About the CCIC
Founded in 2000, the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC) is a Canadian non-profit organization that aims to advance the understanding of the role of cannabinoids in health and disease through research and education.

The CCIC provides a variety of education and information tools to Canadian physicians, nurse practitioners, patients and caregivers. The CCIC has developed and implemented over 80 educational events involving close to 3000 health care professionals.

About CannTrust Inc.
CannTrust Inc. is Canada's only pharmacist-controlled and operated producer and distributor of medical cannabis. Federally licensed and regulated, CannTrust brings more than 40 years of pharmacy and healthcare experience to the medical cannabis industry.

Based in Vaughan, Ontario, CannTrust's 40,000 square foot state-of-the-art hydroponic facility employs strict quality control procedures allowing for the continuous production and harvest of pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis for patients in need.

CannTrust is committed to research and innovation and to contributing to the growing body of evidence-based research for the use and efficacy of medical cannabis.

The company supports ongoing patient education about medical cannabis across Canada through partnerships with a variety of patient such as the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network (CCSN) and such physician-based organizations as the CCIC. Last month CannTrust sponsored a CCSN webinar Medical Marijuana in Canada – A Practical Understanding of Its Use for Cancer Patients with Dr. Paul Daeninck, a Winnipeg oncologist at St. Boniface General Hospital, a palliative care consultant with Cancer Care Manitoba, and a board member of the CCIC.

SOURCE The Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC)

For further information: Dr. Mark Ware, Executive Director, CCIC, mware@ccic.net, 514-695-6333; Tova Manett, CannTrust Inc., tmanett@canntrust.ca, 647-872-2305