Colorado's First Licensed Cannabis R&D Firm to Study Marijuana's Effect on Alzheimer's Disease

MedPharm Holdings plans to apply for a marijuana research and development (R&D) license in Denver, Colo., to test delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and other cannabinoids' effects on people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, reports the Denver Post . "We haven't yet tapped into what this plant can really do to help alleviate the symptoms," said MedPharm CEO Albert Gutierrez. "We hear a lot of anecdotal evidence as far as helping with epilepsy or helping with arthritic pain. Now it's time to put the cannabinoids to the test and really understand what cannabinoids and what doses and what delivery methods really help deliver that relief." Colorado initially introduced R&D licensing in 2017, but left it up to municipalities to individually decide if they would provide it — and so far only MedPharm has applied for a license. MedPharm acquired its state license in 2018, and started growing cannabis and creating various original drug formulas while waiting for Denver to allow city-level applications. If passed, the new city license will allow MedPharm to administer clinical trials and develop drugs, including placebos.