Vernon-based True Leaf Medicine International Ltd. has established its own medical advisory board (MAB).
The team of three leading B.C. medical practitioners will be committed to advancing integrative healthcare with cannabis for True Leaf, a quality of life cannabis company for people and their pets.
Dr. Chris Spooner, a respected naturopathic doctor and champion of integrative medicine, will lead the MAB in his role as Chief Scientific Officer.
Spooner will be joined by Dr. Caroline MacCallum and Dr. Zeid Mohamedali, two of the most progressive medical doctors advising the cannabis industry today.
The True Leaf board will oversee the research and development of a highly-effective medicinal cannabis product line to address, among others, neurological, musculoskeletal, gynaecological, and gastrointestinal conditions.
“Today’s announcement is a significant milestone in our mission to be Canada’s leading purpose-driven cannabis company,” said Darcy Bomford, True Leaf founder and CEO. “Our MAB has the expertise to help us research and develop world-class medicinal cannabis products that fill the gaps that exist in medical treatment today.
“These doctors have extensive success treating patients with cannabis who have found their pharmaceutical treatments ineffective or intolerable. They have taken a progressive approach to treating their patients, and because of that, have helped people live happier, healthier lives.”
The board will also help the company create strategic partnerships within the medical community, provide education and outreach to physicians and policy makers, and identify opportunities for research on medicinal cannabis.
Dr. Spooner is a North Okanagan naturopathic doctor with more than 20 years of experience in naturopathic medicine. He is also a board member of the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia and adjunct professor for several naturopathic colleges.
“We want to help True Leaf build trust in the medical community,” said Spooner. “True Leaf is unique because it is committed to the whole plant medicine. Fifty per cent of the medicine comes from components other than CBD or THC, and we want to take the lead on research and development of the potential of the whole plant.
“True Leaf has brought us in right at the beginning of the project development phase so we are set to collaborate on selecting effective strains and begin pilot trials on whole plant medicines and extractions.”
MacCallum is an internal medicine specialist with a background in pharmacy and expertise in complex pain and cannabinoid medicine. She has extensive clinical training in the field of medical cannabis and has developed cannabinoid treatment plans for more than 2,000 patients.
MacCallum is also a clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, associate member with the Department of Palliative Care, and provides inpatient care for the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Vancouver General Hospital.
Mohamedali is an urologist and researcher with a special interest in uro-oncology and pelvic floor dysfunction. He has more than 20 years of experience in clinical research and surgical practice. His medical cannabis practice is focused on treatments for pain related to chronic pelvic pain, musculoskeletal trauma, and cancer. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Greenleaf Medical Clinics, one of Canada’s top telehealth cannabis organizations.
True Leaf has received permission by Health Canada to build its True Leaf Campus cannabis cultivation facility in Lumby and broke ground on March 2. The 25,000 square foot facility is expected to be completed in late summer 2018.
True Leaf is currently in the final stages of Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) process.