On May 30th, LAU held an event at its Beirut Campus to introduce its initiative to establish the Medicinal Cannabis Research centre to study the economic, scientific, and medicinal properties of cannabis.
Lebanon has some of the most unique cannabis grown in the world, the organisers claimed, as it is “known for its resistance to drought and high temperatures, environmental factors that greatly affect the cannabis’ chemical content, hence its pharmacological characteristics. But so far, Lebanon-grown cannabis hasn’t been well studied or fully characterized.”
The pioneer leading the project, Professor Mohammad Mroueh from LAU’s School of Pharmacy addressed the importance of pursuing cannabis research, especially with a potential for economic growth in Lebanon, with production of pharmaceuticals and creation of new work opportunities is on the horizon.
The plant’s benefits have been well documented in the world over, with THC and CBD applications ranging from treating chronic pain, easing chemotherapy’s effects from nausea and vomiting, helping stimulate AIDS patients appetites to aiding people with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, brain cancer. Recent research also shows the plant’s potential to help people with anxiety, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Crohn’s.
Also present at the event was representative of the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Bahij Arbid, and he assured those present that the Lebanese law grants specialised centres to grow plants that are otherwise prohibited, although it has to be issued under the conditions of the Lebanese Council of Ministers.
This step helps Lebanon, and the region, catch up with the world when it comes to recognising the powers of the plant and stepping away from taboos tying cannabis use to drug use. The centre will be the first in Lebanon, and in the Middle East, as there are only 10 pre-existing centres that study medical cannabis in the world in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.
