SUNDAY 2 JUNE 2019 – UWI TODAY
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can get a patent. Then any country in the world who wishes
to utilise those compounds and formations is going to have
to pay Trinidad and Tobago, pay the owners of the patent.”
The panel (and audience) jousted over the effects
of cannabis as well, and the importance of research in
determining those effects. When asked if cannabis was as
harmful as smoking, Mr Marcus Ramkissoon, certified
cannabis expert and director of the Caribbean Cannabis
Institute, said “there’s been a huge gold standard study done
in New Zealand, long term with over 3500 participants for
over 10 years, and it has shown conclusively that smoking
cannabis is 19 times more carcinogenic than smoking a
cigarette.”
Ramkissoon said, “burning of any green plant material
is going to producemore tar than a brown drymaterial (such
as cigarettes). Cannabis is usually smoked in green form.”
He went on to say smoking in any form is harmful. “We
do not advocate for smoking of cannabis. Smoking is not
healthy and not medicinal.”
Professor Belle Antoine, although stressing that no one
should be in jail for marijuana, said the science had shown
that young people under age 25 should not use the plant.
“We have accepted that it does have a debilitating effect on
young minds.”
Another potential negative effect discussed by the panel
was the lowering of testosterone inmen by up to 35 per cent.
On the positive side, the panellists said cannabis was
being used for pain management, asthma, epilepsy, nausea
from chemotherapy, and even to improve the appetite of
people infected with HIV.
However, Professor Clement, “we need to do clinical
trials to determine whether the benefits outweigh the risk.
There are many studies out there but not all of them are of
good quality. They don’t have large enough numbers. They
are not randomised. There are just a few studies that have
evidence to prove that they work for things like neuromatic
pain, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, and
increasing appetite in people with AIDS.”
He called for UWI and the Government to “put money
into proper studies”. .
Professor Belle Antoine pointed out that one of the
major problems with conducting research is that cannabis is
still illegal. However, the process towards decriminalisation
is well underway.
Dr Riley believed greater emphasis should be placed on
commercialisation, not research. In Jamaica, he said, theywere
selling cannabis products and paying careful attention to the
THC content. THC over one per cent required regulation,
prescriptions and even clinical trials. “Let us not over study or
over think it toomuch, he said. “Let us workwith the evidence
we have, seek out new evidence, and weigh the benefits.”
But perhaps the most heated moment during the
discussion came when amember of the audience questioned
why more was not being said about the spiritual aspect
of cannabis, its cultivation and use. He pointed out the
disagreements taking place among the panel.
“Disagreement is part of the scientific process,” Dean
Coburn said.
The panellists were in unanimous agreement that
the “holders of the knowledge” (meaning Rastafarians
and other long time cannabis users, represented an asset
in understanding the plants benefits and negative effects
and more needed to be done to include them in the
conversation.)
“One of the challenges we face in Jamaica is that the
holders of the knowledge are not so receptive to sharing
information,” Dr Riley said. “We need better interaction
between the scientists and the knowledge holders.”
Professor Clement called the Rastafarians a “catchment
group of people” with many decades of experience and if
researchers could “build trust” and show they deserve that
trust then they would be able to do good research.
Themost outspokenmember of the panel for traditional
cannabis practices was Jayaraj Jayaraman, Professor of
Biotechnology and Plant Microbiology. Calling cannabis a
“heavenly plant” he disagreed with both the development of
synthetics and breeding programmes to increase the amount
of THC. “(Cannabis) has been highly domesticated,” he said.
“We need to go back to what cannabis used to be,” said
the professor.
The discussion, “Cannabis, Science and the Issues”,
ended with loud applause and was the last event before the
closing ceremony of Science and Technology Week 2019.
As to the question of what is “Kush”, Ramkissoon explained
that it was a strain of cannabis originating in the Hindu
Kush Mountain range.
“Because of its popularity the name has taken off to
describe all forms of cannabis.”
Dr Brian Cockburn, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology and moderator of the panel discussion.
PHOTOS: ANEEL KARIM
