The Brazilian health authority has approved the importation of HempMeds® CBD hemp oil product RSHO™ for patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
HempMeds® Brasil, a Medical Marijuana, Inc. portfolio company and the local distribution branch for Medical Marijuana, Inc. products in Brazil, announced that the company has shipped Real Scientific Hemp Oil™ or RSHO™ to a patient in Brazil suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The patient first received a prescription from their doctor for the use of CBD before applying to Brazil’s national health agency ANVISA for import approval. This authorization marks the first instance that ANVISA has allowed the import of RSHO™ to specifically help a patient combat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. This development comes nearly two years after HempMeds® Brasil became the first company to offer legal cannabis products to Brazil as prescription medications for specific conditions.
Laws and regulations governing CBD hemp oil differ between the U.S. and Brazil. In the United States, CBD oil products derived from hemp are legal to purchase in all 50 states but are not approved by the FDA as a treatment for any disease. However, in Brazil, CBD hemp oil is regulated as a medication. Qualifying patients must get a prescription from their doctor and individual approval from ANVISA in order to import CBD oil products.
“We once again commend the Brazilian government for responding to the humanitarian interests of its people by allowing them access to CBD hemp oil products that can treat the symptoms of conditions with no known cure or limited treatment options,” said Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc. “Our firm remains excited about the future for CBD based products to enter clinical trials for this and other neurological indications.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease is degenerative and worsens over time as the disease causes more damage to the brain. In addition to memory loss, Alzheimer’s symptoms include difficulty solving problems and completing tasks, changes in personality and communication, and confusion over people and places.
The medical industry is desperate for a reliable treatment for the disease, but so far, pharmaceuticals are only effective in treating symptoms, not the disease itself. The U.S. government owned patent on cannabinoids, patent 6,630,507, Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants acknowledges the potential of cannabinoids protecting the brain from degenerative damage. The patent covers all cannabinoids for this use, both naturally occurring and synthetic.
“Treatment solutions for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are desperately needed because of the difficulty in developing pharmaceuticals that can pass the blood-brain barrier, a specialized system of cells that allow nutrients in the brain while preventing harmful substances from passing through,” added Dr. Titus. “Cannabinoids like CBD, however, can pass through the blood-brain barrier and affect cannabinoid/other receptors in the brain.”
It has been estimated that in 2045, the elderly population in Brazil will surpass the child population. As the aging population increases, there will be a further increase in age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease. About one million people currently have been diagnosed with some form of dementia in Brazil. However, it is thought that more than three quarters of the cases in the country go undiagnosed.
Even once Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed, treatment options are restricted to the symptoms of the disease, as there is no currently accepted preventative or cure for the disease. Today, nearly 44 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia, costing an estimated $605 billion or 1 percent of the world’s GDP just to address these symptoms.
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Patients in Brazil can visit the HempMeds® Brasil website to learn more about accessing RSHO™ CBD oil.
