SCHOOL NEWS
SOP Hosts Inaugural Holaday Memorial Lecture in Medical Cannabis The School of Pharmacy hosted its inaugural John W. Holaday, PhD, Endowed Memorial Lectureship in Medical Cannabis in October. Established with a gift from Curio Wellness — a medical cannabis brand and trusted health care partner based in Maryland — the lectureship was delivered as part of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program’s Raphael Mechoulam virtual fall symposium. It honors the memory of Holaday, a highly accomplished pharmaceutical executive, entrepreneur, and medical scholar who also served as chairman emeritus of Curio Wellness’ Scientific Advisory Board. “Dr. Holaday was not only an accomplished professional and entrepreneur, but also a kind and caring person who served as a mentor to many young professionals,” said Natalie D. Eddington, PhD ’89, FAAPS, FCP, dean and professor of the School of Pharmacy, in her opening remarks. “We are grateful to Curio Wellness for their recognition of Dr. Holaday and his many contributions to the life sciences.” Serving as the keynote speaker for the lecture was Raphael Mechoulam, PhD, the Lionel Jacobson Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at Hebrew University in Israel and one of the world’s pre-eminent cannabis scientists. Mechoulam and his research team were the first to isolate and identify several major plant cannabinoids, including D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant. “Both new students and those who have been in the medical cannabis field for years have been impacted by Dr. Mechoulam’s research in cannabinoid science,” said Leah Sera, PharmD ’10, MA, BCPS, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science and director of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program at the School of Pharmacy. “It is a gift and honor to have him speak to our students about the history and the future of this exciting field.” Mechoulam’s lecture, titled “The Cannabinoids: Looking Back and Ahead,” explored the history of cannabis use, the different phases of cannabinoid research, and the numerous
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medical conditions that cannabinoid-based medications can treat. According to Mechoulam, most scientists were not interested in pursuing cannabis research when he began his career. Now prestigious scientific journals such as Nature Reviews regularly incorporate articles spotlighting cannabis research in their volumes and leading health associations have noticed the positive impact of cannabis on certain medical conditions. Mechoulam noted that most cannabis research currently focuses on cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical in the cannabis plant, and THC. While CBD and THC are closely related chemically, their biological activity is completely different. THC possesses psychoactive properties not found in CBD, causing a number of adverse events that have led many researchers to discount it as a potential treatment. However, CBD has been extensively studied to help treat a number of conditions, including epilepsy, chronic graftversus-host disease, schizophrenia, diabetes, and type 1 diabetes. “We found that we had a new drug that could be used; it was not toxic and there were no side effects,” said Mechoulam. “But nothing happened for 35 years, until parents with children who had been diagnosed with epilepsy started to look for new treatments. It was these parents who found that CBD was quite good at suppressing their child’s epilepsy.” He added: “As a result, CBD began to be widely used, and was even approved for a major clinical trial. The results mirrored what we saw in our earlier study, and CBD was approved for use in children with epilepsy. My only question is: why did we have to wait so long?” Mechoulam’s current research focuses on the numerous anandamide-like compounds in the mammalian body, particularly those involved in basic biological reactions such as bone formation, vasodilation, head trauma, and addiction. He and his research team have developed several compounds that are currently being advanced as drugs by pharmaceutical companies. He commended the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy for establishing its MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program. “High-quality academic programs such as this are sorely needed to further the field of cannabis research,” said Mechoulam. “I hope my remarks today have inspired your students to continue down the path of education, discovery, and advocacy in this field.” b
