Using Biomarkers to Measure Cannabis Medicine Effectiveness with Itzhak Kurek, PhD

Itzhak Kurek, PhD is CEO & Co-Founder of Cannformatics. Itzhak and his team are measuring the effectiveness of cannabis-based medicines using biomarkers. So far, they have identified dozens of cannabis-responsive biomarkers that can be used to objectively quantify the physiological impact of medical cannabis treatment and provide a tool for investigating the metabolic pathways affected by medical cannabis and CBD. Their pilot study looked at patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and was published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research in December. 



During our conversation, we discussed: 



Details of the ASD Pilot Study The benefits of using biomarkers vs self-reporting  The bidirectional nature of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system The importance of whole-plant / full-spectrum medicine products How the focus on THC-potency stifles medical research The challenge of doing proper medical cannabis research with limited resources and available funding



Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Cannabis Patient Care



Cannabis Patient Care magazine is an educational resource for patients, medical professionals, caregivers, and advocates on the latest research, benefits, and treatment options medical cannabis provides for a variety of illnesses. 



Learn more at cannapatientcare.com



Additional Resources



Cannabis-Responsive Biomarkers: A Pharmacometabolomics-Based Application to Evaluate the Impact of Medical Cannabis Treatment on Children with Autism Spectrum DisorderCannformatics websiteCannMed ArchiveCannMed Community Board [Facebook Group]Healthcare Provider Medical Cannabis Research Study