Patrycja Kurowska, Wojciech Giermaziak

Personalization: the future of medical cannabis?
2020-03-15

We live in the era of personalisation. Personalised advertisements attack us all around, we are proposed customised trainings and dietary plans. It is no different in medicine. Personalized medicine offers a special approach to the specific needs and symptoms of each patient. How is the future of medical cannabis drawn in the light of this concept? After all, the use of so-called “medical marijuana”, although controversial, is the actual part of modern medicine. Approach to the principle: “one size fits all” does not work with therapeutic cannabis therapy. Cannabis is a complex herbal medicine, so far over five hundred compounds present in them have been identified and isolated - not only cannabinoids, but also terpenes, flavonoids and many other compounds. They are able to affect each other, causing so-called “entourage effect” (enhancing, synergetic effect). These interactions are responsible for specific action of different cannabis varieties. Choosing the right product is a huge challenge. There are hundred of different strains of cannabis. The global cannabis industry is full of different types and forms of products. Finding the right one for a patient struggling with specific condition can be a challenge. Gratefully, innovations allow higher levels of personalization while addressing challenges faced by a medical cannabis patient. Platforms using extensive data sets and artificial intelligence are being developed worldwide, which allow the development of personalized therapies based on cannabinoids, including for patients with cancer. However, there is a risk of abuse in this field. Especially since in Poland there is no proper law regarding genetic testing and biobanking… The other thing is that Cannabis flos, like other herbal medicinal products, can cause drug-drug interactions. As the medical cannabis market continues to evolve, we should all strive to ensure that the drug is adapted to the safety and therapeutic profile of the largest number of patients in need.

Keywords: personalized medicine, precision medicine, medical marijuana.

© Farm Pol, 2020, 76(2): 73–78