Saturday, November 17, 11:45AM
Krotona Hall
Acupuncturists, please note: We have been approved as Continuing Education Provider #1526 by the California Acupuncture Board. This lecture is one of 12 approved for 1 hour of Category 1 credit.
“Cannabidiol: The Anxiolytic, Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic, Nootropic, Non-Euphoric Cannabinoid”
Kevin Spelman, PhD
Thinking beyond THC there are at least 60 other phytocannabinoids in the Cannabis plant. One of these is cannabidiol (CBD), which has attracted a substantial amount of attention (thank you, Sanjay Gupta). Importantly, this cannabinoid does not induce euphoria but does show intriguing pleiotropy in numerous molecular pathways, tissues and physiological systems. Besides attenuating the euphoria of THC; anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, nootropic, anti-seizure and anti-addictive activities are prominent activities of CBD. We will examine the evidence base for CBD, which is growing rapidly and offers broad spectrum and significant therapeutic potential.
Dr. Kevin Spelman is an internationally recognized expert on the molecular biology and clinical therapeutics of botanical medicines and new product development. A past National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow and Marie Curie research fellow in the European Union, Dr. Spelman has published 27 scientific papers and 6 chapters. Dr. Spelman has also practiced clinical phytotherapy for 20 years in various medical centers as well as advised the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and most recently was invited to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy conference on the microbiome. Dr. Spelman has also consulted for the Department of Defense on specific therapeutic outcomes using natural products.
Dr. Spelman’s research includes brain and ovarian cancer and clinical investigations, immunological studies, and chemical analysis on numerous medicinal plants. He is known for his expertise on the molecular biology of medical Cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD). Past research projects have included the molecular biology of cannabinoid receptors, where he was the first researcher to demonstrate cannabinoid ligands in Zanthoxylum spp. Dr. Spelman is an adjunct assistant professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, an adjunct professor of botanical medicine at National College of Natural Medicine and a distinguished lecturer at Maryland University of Integrative Health. Dr. Spelman is also a member of the prestigious College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy in the UK.