The Initial Objective of the Collaboration is the Introduction of OWC's Active Cannabinoid-Based Topical Psoriasis Cream to the German Market.

OWC Pharmaceutical Research Corp. (OTC: OWCP) and mediq Innovation Partners (mediq) are pleased to announce an agreement for the introduction of OWCP's active cannabinoid-based topical psoriasis cream to the German market.

Frankfurt, Germany-based mediq has extensive experience, knowledge and a successful track record in enabling Israel-based companies to penetrate the European markets. mediq's objectives for OWCP will consist of both scientific collaboration and most importantly the development of a commercial market for OWCP's proprietary, active cannabinoid-based topical psoriasis cream in Germany.

Israel’s new cannabis decriminalization policy, approved by the government in March, officially came into effect on Sunday, commencing a new legal approach towards the recreational use of marijuana in the Jewish state.

The new government policy shifts the responsibility of enforcing marijuana laws from police to civil authorities. Yet recreational cannabis use is not fully legalized in Israel, and the Israel Police clarified that “even under the new enforcement policy, cannabis use will stay illegal in the public sector,” reported Yedioth Ahronoth.

Can cannabis turn back the aging process?

As our brain ages, our cognitive abilities naturally decrease and it becomes more difficult to learn new things or devote attention to several things at the same time. Researchers long have been looking for ways to slow down or even reverse this process.

Scientists at the University of Bonn in Germany and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem report in the journal Nature Medicine that they have achieved this goal in mice by administering a small quantity of THC, the active ingredient in the hemp plant (cannabis).

“First-mover advantage.” Why Canadian weed producers will dominate the global marijuana market.

In marketing strategy, there’s a term called “first-mover advantage”. It’s when a few key players in a particular industry gain an advantage because they entered into the marketplace first. These companies are able to establish strong brand recognition, shore up the best sources of funding, and build a loyal customer base simply because there aren’t any competitors in the way during their first few years of operation. 

Israel's Health Ministry recently released new directives easing restrictions on the possession and use of medical marijuana by authorized users. The directives, which go into effect immediately, allow patients who have been prescribed marijuana to consume the drug in public as oil or as vapor.

However, smoking cannabis, the method that most patients in Israel use, is still banned in public.

Permits for the use of medical marijuana have until now been very strict: Patients were only allowed to use it at the address listed in the permit, usually their home, and not in the presence of another person. Possession of marijuana was also restricted to the user’s home.

Unfettered by restrictions on marijuana such as those in the United States, other countries continue to take the lead on researching the potential health benefits of the cannabis plant.

Recently, researchers at Oxford University in the United Kingdom announced a research project into the potential medical value of marijuana. Now, Israel has launched the first clinical trial in the world to determine if cannabis can provide treatment for one specific condition: autism.

Israeli researchers are looking how the non-psychotropic compound found in cannabis – called cannabidiol (CBD) – might treat autistic children better than other medications have so far done.

From Israel to the United States, the number of studies on the medical benefits of cannabis continues to increase and to provide exciting results.

The cannabis plant has over 100 known chemical compounds but the two best known are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although CBD has a much shorter history than THC, recent research studies have significantly increased our understanding of its medical benefits and its popularity continues to grow.

An iconic Israeli agricultural company part of the early national effort to “make the desert bloom,” as the Zionist catchphrase goes, is now turning to an unconventional crop: marijuana.

Founded in the 1960s, Netafim was the first popularizer of drip irrigation technology, which enables growers to control the amount of water their plants receive by watering the roots. Netafim buoyed the early Israeli economy by enabling the young state to grow vegetables in the desert, which were then shipped to Europe in the winter. Now the company is marketing its system to marijuana growers.

Netafim recently made its pitch at Cannetch, a global conference in Tel Aviv covering every aspect of the medical marijuana industry.

When Noa Shulman came home from school, her mother, Yael, sat her down to eat, then spoon-fed her mashed sweet potatoes — mixed with cannabis oil.

Noa, who has a severe form of autism, started to bite her own arm. “No sweetie,” Yael gently told her 17-year-old daughter. “Here, have another bite of this.”

Noa is part of the first clinical trial in the world to test the benefits of medicinal marijuana for young people with autism, a potential breakthrough that would offer relief for millions of afflicted children — and their anguished parents.

For more than 50 years, Israeli scientists have been researching the medical benefits associated with cannabis and the country’s pro-cannabis standpoint has made it attractive to several cannabis-focused biotech firms.

Although the Israeli cannabis research and development efforts are unmatched by any country, the growth of the North American cannabis industry has caught Israel’s attention.

The Canadian recreational cannabis movement has been the story of the year so far, but Israel is not too far behind as its cannabis initiatives are starting to gain traction in some of the world’s largest markets.