A review of the cultivation and processing of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) for production of prescription medicines in the UK.

doi:10.1002/dta.1531

Paper

A review of the cultivation and processing of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) for production of prescription medicines in the UK.

Published 2014 · David J Potter

Drug testing and analysis

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Abstract

The quality demands of the pharmaceutical industry require prescription medicines to be consistent in their active ingredient content. Achieving this, using raw cannabis as a feedstock, is especially challenging. The plant material is extremely inhomogeneous, and the ratios of active ingredients are affected by a range of factors. These include the genetics of the plant, the growing and storage conditions, the state of maturity at harvest, and the methods used to process and formulate the material. The reasons for this variability are described, with particular emphasis on the botanical considerations. To produce the complex botanical medicine Sativex®, which contains the cannabinoids Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and a range of other ingredients, GW Pharmaceuticals had to manage these variables. This medicine, for the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis, is the first cannabis-based medicine to be approved in the UK. The company's methodology for producing this and other chemotypes is described.

Study Snapshot

Key takeawayCannabis cultivation and processing for prescription medicines is challenging due to inhomogeneity and varying active ingredient content, but GW Pharmaceuticals successfully managed these variables to produce Sativex®, the first cannabis-based medicine approved in the UK.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

A review of the cultivation and processing of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) for production of prescription medicines in the UK.

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