Oxford University Launches £10 Million Medical Cannabis Research Program

One of the most ambitious medical cannabis programs will soon be underway in the U.K. Researchers at Oxford University are prepared to embark on a £10 million ($12.36 million USD) study on the benefits of medical cannabis. The study, entitled the “Cannabis Research Plan,” will focus on developing new therapies for severe and chronic health conditions.

Kingsley Capital Partners will partner up with Oxford University to create a “global centre of excellence” in medical cannabis research. The research will be funded through Kingsley’s new biopharmaceutical firm Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies (OCT). Oxford excels at research in immunology, neuroscience and cancer. Proffessor Ahmed Ahmed of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology implied that existing medical cannabis studies are only scratching the surface. “Cannabinoid research has started to produce exciting biological discoveries and this research program is a timely opportunity to increase our understanding of the role of cannabinoids in health and disease,” Ahmed said in a statement.

The research teams will look into pathways and mechanisms that produce the beneficial effects of cannabis. Scientists plan on getting there by studying the cellular, molecular and systems mechanisms of cannabinoids.

Sir Patrick Stewart recently admitted to using a medical cannabis spray to treat his arthritis, as well as using medical cannabis ointments and a chewy bar. As a result of this experience, “I enthusiastically support the Oxford University Cannabis Research Plan,” Stewart told CNBC in an email. “This is an important step forward for Britain in a field of research that has, for too long, been held back by prejudice, fear and ignorance.”

To date, prescription-only Sativex is the only drug that contains cannabinoids that is legal in the U.K. In the U.K. The Green Party and the Liberal Democrats support the legalization of medical cannabis, but the Conservative and Labour Parties do not officially support any form of cannabis. Last year, a bipartisan group of U.K. Politicians called for the end of cannabis prohibition, to no avail.