CALGARY—Seniors living in two care homes in Saskatoon could be participants in a study overseen by the University of Saskatchewan to determine whether cannabis could help improve quality of life for people with dementia.

The research is part of a three-year initiative between Sundial Growers, an Alberta-based cannabis company, and the University of Saskatchewan. It’ll look at the effects of cannabis on dementia patients, how cannabis could be used in treating cancer and skin diseases, as well as its effectiveness on pain management.

“Our first focus is dealing with the concept of the aging brain and dealing with diseases that are neurological in nature,” said Geoff Thompson, president of Sundial. “In this case, we’re going to be studying dementia and try to understand how cannabis can have a positive effect on dementia.”

The study has not yet been approved by Health Canada, but Thompson said it expects to receive the OK by Christmas. As many as 50 or 60 seniors at the two Saskatoon homes are already lined up, he said, and could be actively part of the research within the first few months of 2019.

“These are all people who are in (care) homes and they don’t have any alternatives other than trying cannabis,” Thompson said. “So, we think we’ll be able to see within a three- to six-month time frame changes — for the better — for people going through these trials.”

The research falls in line with work done by the U of S’s Cannabinoid Research Initiative of Saskatchewan, a biomedical and plant genomics initiative that “aims to obtain scientific evidence about the application of cannabinoids and cannabis derivatives to human and animals for health, disease, and disorders,” according to a joint statement.

Thompson said there’s been “a lot of research done” on the relationship between cannabis and dementia treatment over the past 20 years. However, he said much of it wasn’t published because of taboos concerning cannabis use. Canada’s medical cannabis program didn’t start until 2003 and, despite nine states in the United States legalizing recreational cannabis, it remains a Schedule 1 drug under U.S. federal law — meaning it’s considered as dangerous as heroin.

“Therefore, the research didn’t reach the same prominence as it does today,” Thompson said.

Aside from studying cannabis’s effects on dementia, the U of S said its research will also investigate the drug’s impacts on patient anxiety, aggression, sleep, pain, cognitive stabilization, and nutrition.

Sundial is keen on gathering the research to aid its expansion abroad. Last July, it signed a similar research deal with the University of Calgary to look into how cannabis could aid in the treatment of brain and mental health issues, according to a statement issued by Sundial at the time.

Thompson said the results could provide organizations like the Canadian Medical Association, as well as similar organizations in countries like Germany, the proof they need to help doctors understand the benefits of cannabis to a patient’s quality of life.

“We’re trying to prove to people around the world that medical cannabis is an option,” Thompson said.

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