Genetic screening, personalized therapy and the importance of biomarkers in medical cannabis treatment

by Dominik Marko, Director of Scientific Affairs, and Chemistry & Biology expert

Despite the use of cannabis in medicine stretching back hundreds of years, the modern integration and application of medical cannabis into the global health system have been off to a rocky start. While efforts to legalize medical cannabis are underway in most parts of the world, the misconceptions about how medical cannabis works have made it challenging for medical professionals to fully embrace its use and for patients to access it as a viable treatment option. In addition, the lack of quality and reliable data on the efficacy of medical cannabis and standardized testing has led to discrepancies in quality, dosage, and safety, further complicating its integration into mainstream healthcare. 

Debunking The “One Dose For All” Misconception Using Genetic Screening 

One of the common misconceptions about medical cannabis treatment is that people require and should respond universally to the same dose. Clinical trials have shown this not to be accurate, as the genetic differences in our DNA coupled with factors like age and enzymes  have been shown to play a vital role in how our bodies react to medical cannabis. Due to these variables, the way patient A might respond to a lower dose might be different from how patient B reacts to the same dose, which means that to get the desired outcome in both patients, depending on their DNA and how their enzymes metabolize cannabinoids, one patient might require a higher dose to achieve the same result as the patient responding well to a lower dose.  

Genetic Screening_Site PQE

How Metabolism Plays A Dominant Role In Determining Dosage 

The speed at which your enzymes metabolize cannabinoids is a crucial determinant of the dosage required to achieve the desired outcome when using medical cannabis. The bodies of patients with higher levels of enzymes can metabolize both THC and CBD faster than those with lower enzymes, which means that for medical cannabis to work effectively in these patients, a higher dose is required to cope with the high rate at which cannabinoids are being metabolized. What genetic screening helps medical practitioners achieve is essentially the expression levels of according enzymes in a patient’s body to prescribe the correct dose. Biomarkers assist in this regard by telling the rate at which a patient’s enzymes metabolize cannabinoids to help decide whether a higher or lower dosage is required for the patient. 

Since higher levels of enzymes speed up the degradation of target molecules, patients with higher enzymes often experience a short duration of phytocannabinoids effect compared to patients with lower enzymes, hence the recommended higher dosage. 

Read the full article on GQC website

Want to know more?

Visit GQC - Glocal Quality Cannabis website, our Medical Cannabis dedicated company

Our experts can support you through every stage of cultivation and extraction.
We will make sure you fully meet the compliance standards set in your country for greenhouses and laboratories and we will help you register your product and sell it in different countries.

 

Connect with us