Curtin University and Little Green Pharma (LGP) have teamed up to explore whether cannabis can help combat obesity.
Researchers hope to identify a combination of cannabinoids that may reduce participants’ appetites by producing effects in the gastrointestinal tract.
Lead researcher Professor Marco Falasca told the West Australian: “Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with at least 2.8 million people dying annually as a result of being overweight or obese and current drug treatments have significant adverse side-effects and need to be injected by patients.”
Falasca added: “Some of the more than 100 cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant have been shown to have therapeutic potential for obesity.
“Our research will seek to unlock further understanding of the role these cannabinoids can play in regulating gut function, their mechanism of action and optimal dosing for therapeutic effect to help weight loss.”
LGP is funding the study, with human trials anticipated in the next stage and a February 2023 completion date.
