Last Thursday, June 8, the 2nd quarterly meeting of the CANNABMED 2017 was held in Barcelona, an event aimed at those people with health problems using cannabis, including their relatives and caregivers, organized by the ICEERS Foundation (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education Research & Service) and with the support of our Fundació Alchimia Solidària, in which 10 different entities had the opportunity to present all the current information that revolves around medicinal cannabis.
The 1st CANNABMED quarterly meeting was held on March 8, also in Barcelona, where a work commission was created, with the participation of different organizations of the cannabis sector. These events have had a magnificent assistance and response from the public interested in becoming impregnated with the knowledge and the current situation in which medicinal cannabis is found.
A knowledge that is based especially on the real experiences on the part of the organizers, the associations and the patients themselves. The purpose of these meetings, as explained by sources of the organization, is very defined:
‘We want to alleviate the lack of information related to the products, therapies and user associations that exist in the world of medicinal cannabis, in this way we make known the people behind and all the research and knowledge that is being created’
Participation of Alchimia in the CannabMed
Our colleagues María, Dani and David went to Barcelona to participate actively in CannabMed, where we had the opportunity to present our Online Therapeutic Cannabis Clinic, managed by doctors Mariano García de Palau and Joan Parés, who attend personalized to all the queries we receive in Spanish and French.
In our intervention, we also made a brief presentation of the trajectory that Alchimia has lived through in these years, from its beginnings in 2001 to the present, in which the presence of the therapeutic properties of cannabis has been increasing.
We made a brief review of the new products with CBD that are appearing in the cannabis market, as well as the motivation and importance of the marijuana cultivation for own consumption.
Program of the 2nd CannabMed meeting
This 2nd CANNABMED meeting consisted of a series of brief expositions in which 10 participating entities spoke about everything related to cannabis-based therapies and their derivatives, as well as a debate and presentation of the latest developments in products related to the medicinal cannabis.
Oscar Parés, Deputy Director of the ICEERS Foundation and one of the main promoters of the CannabMed, introduced the 2nd CANNABMED Quarterly Meeting and gave the floor to Gregorio Fernández “Goyo”, who moderated and presented the event.
Intervention groups in the 2nd CannabMed meeting:
Group 1 – Products based on CBD
- Alpha-Cat. Capsules, oils and different cosmetic products with CBD.
- Enecta. Different e-liquids with CBD, pure extract and crystals.
- Project CBD. It is a non-profit organization in defense of the plant. It reinforces research, translation of articles on CBD, a reference for users and locator of Cannabis Associations. Everything you need to be up to date.
- Endoca They highlighted its novelties, such as star products, the CBD suppositories and the extract in sublingual pasta. Endoca Foundation presented the Endoca Village, a farmhouse for therapies with CBD and for people without resources.
Group 2 – Maps and Services
- SmokingMap – Good Smoke: They have therapeutic office, medical passport, association for therapeutic users, they only work under medical supervision. They also offer many services, among them, an insurance that covers the fines that can be put to us for the use or transportation of cannabis, medical user medical certificate, medical passport, transportation for people with reduced mobility, etc.
- Weedmaps: Information about services and medicinal products, information about clubs or dispensaries, and contact information.
Group 3 – Therapeutic Cabinet
- Alchimia: As we indicated above, we gave a brief presentation about how our company began to be interested in the therapeutic field of marijuana. We talked about the medical cannabis clinic, the food with CBD that are available in Alchimiaweb and the importance that self-cultivation has for users.
- Kalapa-Clinic: Professional advice for Cannabinoid treatment. Dissemination of information and guidance to patients. Obtaining the medical certificate. For a first visit, a complete file of the patient, the consent of data and an official diagnosis are essential.
- MedCan: Organization to promote the therapeutic use and treatments with cannabinoids with Dr. Albert Estrada, both in person and by videoconference, in Barcelona. Training project aimed at health professionals to learn about the use of therapeutic cannabis and to make its way into the field of public health.
- Centro di Ricerca Médica Heliopolis Pisa (Italy): This was the last intervention, undoubtedly one of the most emotional of the day, in which they presented their project in Italy. Giovanni also came, a very close and endearing patient who after a traffic accident at the age of 23 years was left quadriplegic and today, after numerous interventions and treatment with cannabis, leads a normal life, is self-sufficient, travels alone, etc. …
Once the interventions were over, a brief debate was opened, with several queries from users who were there and an effusive congratulation from Dr. Mariano García de Palau to the Italian Doctor of the Center Ricerca Médica Heliopolis Pisa for the wonderful work done with Giovanni.
Farewell 2nd Meeting Cannabmed users:
This 2nd CANNABMED Quarterly Meeting ended with the reading of a written text by Queralt (member of the CannabMed work commission), which moved us with their demands and which we are unable to summarize. In his words, Queralt conveyed the need to change the current situation of vulnerability of the group of people who use medicinal cannabis.
We enclose a copy of the full text that you read to us, to bid farewell to this meeting and invite us to continue participating in this wonderful project.
Author: Queralt – Member of the working committee of the CANNABMED (08-06-2017):
“Cannabis has undoubted therapeutic benefits, as evidenced by the growing funding of research teams from the governments of the United States, Canada, Australia and Israel. For example, the United States not only has the patent for cannabinoids, but the DEA has started a cultivation procedure for scientific study. Cannabis for medical use must be legal and be part of the national health system and can be prescribed.
It is worth remembering that cannabis for therapeutic use is illegal, it is a huge injustice and even more so when its recreational use is legal and regulated.
There are people who are seriously ill and to whom the current medical options or do not respond, or have serious intolerable effects, these people are in a situation of extreme vulnerability. In addition to the desperation of families and the uselessness of the administration in providing answers, police and legal persecution are added.
It is UNACCEPTABLE that despite scientific studies demonstrating the benefits in multiple sclerosis, spasticity, pain, colitis, nausea, glaucoma and epilepsies, the laws are not changed, and consequently doctors are afraid to study, treat and help to patients who clearly could now benefit from the use of cannabis, leaving the sick unattended. Just as opium and morphine derivatives, and even more, even clearly toxic drugs are legal, there should be no problem with cannabis and its derivatives. It is paradoxical that there is an ideological element against this cannabis legislation.
This illegality allows the mafias to benefit, access to the products is expensive and unsafe: we do not know how it is grown, under what conditions it is handled, the effects in the dispensation and safety is not established in continuation of the characteristics of the product . The product has no safety for medical use. We are in a state of total helplessness, subject to abuse. Despite all this we need to use cannabis for therapeutic purposes, for those who have no other option.
This illegal situation of cannabis prevents science from advancing faster in the study of the benefits of cannabis because of the difficulty of obtaining samples and if they have control at source and manipulation. At the country level, we are falling behind in the scientific research of cannabis, we depend on powers such as Israel, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, and Canada, which are legalizing the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes and encouraging research. This illegality also hinders the training of doctors in universities about the endocannabinoid system and cannabis.
We will achieve the goal of legalizing cannabis for therapeutic use, only with public pressure, if we commit ourselves we will all achieve it. We believe that this project is attractive and flexible to adapt and promote changes. We have never worked together, but we believe in the ability to contribute from the diversity of experiences, and professions.
We want to work on this challenge, with quality people, who think and act beyond personal or group selfishness, regardless of sex, condition, beliefs, origins, etc. with generosity, with a symbiotic approach, “I am not me without you” and thinking and acting in mutual service and for the benefit of patients. We want to enable and promote the scientific study of cannabis, we need more research. We will have against the more generalized traditional morality that categorizes cannabis as a drug, and simply because of a lack of critical thinking sanctions the therapeutic use of cannabis, we will also have against mafias and pharmaceuticals to whom cannabis legal cannibalizes their profits ( we hope not to have the health department against). If we are not able to investigate and create jointly, then easily collectives against the legalization of medicinal cannabis will be able to silence us and subject us.
Without this participation of yours, we will be like any association with many ideas and few results. Without your involvement in this project we will not achieve the goal: We have to legalize cannabis for therapeutic use and favor its legal dispensation, as is already being done in Canada, Israel and the Netherlands. Thank you very much. “
Summary of the 2nd meeting of the CannabMed
With this message of protest by Queralt, this 2nd of the 4 quarterly meetings of the CannabMed was closed to those who undertook for this 2017, and with the support of the work commission created on March 8 at the 1st meeting, that has provided a boost to the project.
From the CannabMed work commission itself, these presentations of products related to medicinal cannabis were organized to provide complete information to the group of therapeutic users who use marijuana.
The event was held at the “Center Sant Pere Apòstol”, in the heart of Barcelona, was free and was aimed at the group of people who are affected:
- People with health problems who use cannabis.
- Members of their family environment who care for them.
- Other people who accompany sick people in this aspect.
- Representatives of Associations of sick people and users of medicinal cannabis.
The medicinal or therapeutic cannabis lives a unique moment, is entering the political agenda of many countries in the world and every day has more relevance in the media.
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