Public Service Announcement (PSA) Campaign Raises Awareness to Research a Possible Treatment for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
NEW YORK – December 10, 2015 – To address the public’s questions about CTE, what the disease is and who it impacts — Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC Pink: MJNA) and its portfolio company Kannalife Sciences, Inc. (“Kannalife”), a phyto-medical company involved in the research and development of novel therapeutic agents designed to be neuroprotectants and immuno-modulators — are responding with a social media-driven campaign titled “Show Your Green.”
Leading the “Show Your Green” PSA is Kannalife’s advisory board member and former NFL star defensive lineman, Marvin Washington. From 1988 to 1999, Mr. Washington played in 155 games over 11 seasons in the NFL, recording over 40 sacks in his eight years with the New York Jets, two years with the San Francisco 49’ers and as a member of the 1998 Superbowl champion Denver Broncos. Mr. Washington now leads Kannalife’s efforts to expand on raising awareness for the disease and the need for a community driven effort to support the research and development of therapeutic treatments to fight CTE. Having been diagnosed with three known concussions and a countless number of subconcussions, the former NFL star is extremely passionate about helping individuals who are battling the debilitating and often deadly effects of CTE.
In “Show Your Green”, Mr. Washington narrates the first of a short series of “Show Your Green” public awareness campaign videos, as he shares facts about CTE including:
- A recent study shows that 96% of former NFL players tested positive for CTE
- CTE has been linked to dementia, depression and suicide; and
- There is currently no effective treatment for CTE
The “Show Your Green” awareness campaign call-to-action is to post a photo featuring green “eye black” and then sharing the photo within the respondent’s social sphere of influence. By watching “Show Your Green”, every football fan from toddler to titan can have the opportunity to join in and show their green in support of increasing awareness of CTE and the drive towards developing a treatment for concussive injury and CTE, a life threating and debilitating disease. CTE is an oxidative stress (OS) related disease. Neural cells suffer functional or sensory loss in neurodegenerative diseases. Apart from several other environmental or genetic factors, oxidative stress leading to free radical attack on neural cells contributes a calamitous role in neurodegeneration.
Kannalife currently holds two licenses with National Institutes of Health for U.S. Patent 6,630,507 “Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants.” These licenses are currently in use by Kannalife to develop novel therapeutic drugs to treat chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Kannalife’s scientific team has researched the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on non-differentiated native neuronal cells and has determined cannabidiol’s potential as a target drug candidate to treat oxidative stress-related disorders, CBD’s therapeutic index, and CBD’s limitations in pharmaceutical target drug design.
“It is a positive step forward to see increased social awareness of traumatic head injury and CTE as well as a call-to-action by the public to creatively drive medical research for a solution,” states Dr. Stuart Titus, Chief Executive Officer of Medical Marijuana, Inc. “A head injury can affect people of all ages – not just NFL players.”
Dr. Titus continues, “Kannalife’s efforts are focused on developing a neuroprotective pharmaceutical compound that may have far-reaching implications for furthering the science of neurological medicine. The Company aims to improve quality of life for patients and sufferers of concussions and CTE. The end goal is to end the suffering of patients and their families, who in later stages have been torn apart by the long-term degenerative effects of this terrible condition.”
In tandem with its findings on CBD, Kannalife has developed a new cannabidiol-like molecule called KLS-13019 that, through pre-clinical testing and pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, indicates improvement over CBD’s role as a neuroprotectant through increased potency, as well as potential for greater safety through reduced toxicity. Side-by-side comparisons between CBD and KLS-13019 have also shown that KLS-13019 has marked improvements over CBD in oral bioavailability, CNS penetration, blood-plasma concentrations, and cognitive improvement in murine behavioral models.
You can “Show Your Green” and assist in raising awareness in the fight for a cure for CTE though medical research, by going to www.treatCTE.org for details. Campaign spokespersons will be featured Friday, Dec. 11 at 9:00 am – 9:27 am PT on the U-T Community Spotlight Radio Show; the live broadcast can be heard online at www.wsradio.com. An archive of the interview can be accessed at www.wsradio.com/utsandiego.
About Kannalife Sciences, Inc.
Kannalife Sciences, Inc. is a phyto-medical company involved in the research and development of novel therapeutic agents designed to be neuroprotectants and immuno-modulators. Kannalife is currently conducting research and development at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center in Doylestown, PA, for target drug candidates to treat Hepatic Encephalopathy (“HE”) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (“CTE”). HE and CTE are oxidative stress related diseases that affect cognitive and behavioral functions. For more information, on Kannalife, please visit the company’s website at: www.kannalife.com.
About Medical Marijuana Inc.
The mission of Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC Pink: MJNA) is to be the premier cannabis and hemp industry innovator, leveraging our team of professionals to source, evaluate and purchase value-added companies and products, while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. We strive to create awareness within our industry, develop environmentally-friendly, economically sustainable businesses, while increasing shareholder value. For more information on Medical Marijuana, Inc., please visit the company’s website at: www.medicalmarijuanainc.com
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