Coming Soon: Pot Chewing Gum?
Maybe it just had to happen. This October, a cannabis-based chewing gum will hit marijuana dispensaries in Colorado, California, Arizona and Washington, D.C. This roll-out will follow on the heels of a dizzying array of home-made pot-based candies, baked goods, honeys, and elixirs - most of which are produced in the local areas where the cannabis shops conduct business. The gum, called Can Chew, is a collaboration of San Diego-based Medical Marijuana Inc., and Can Chew Technologies, a San Diego chewing gum technology company headquartered in the Netherlands.
Can Chew has developed a cannabis chewing gum containing Dronabinol, or THC, for people suffering from Alzheimer’s, appetite loss, multiple sclerosis and nausea. Through their technology, they are able to produce a gum that when chewed, releases fine particles of THC into the oral mucosa - the lining of the mouth - allowing for rapid absorption of the cannabis compound. According to the company, this allows for speedy relief from pain, nausea, tension and loss of appetite. According to Dr. Philip Van Damme of Can Chew, chronic pain sufferers, early and late-stage cancer patients and even anorexics can experience relief with the gum.
Cannabis has steadily emerged as a medicine for the treatment of nausea, glaucoma, pain, and a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, cannabis contains potent antioxidant compounds that demonstrate benefits in cases of cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, HIV and dementia.
Medical Marijuana Inc., the first publicly held company (MJNA) devoted to cannabis, is positioning itself as the leading corporate innovator in the burgeoning cannabis product marketplace. The alliance with Can Chew is one of five strategic partnerships with entities in the cannabis medicine category. The company is also involved with cannabis cultivation, cannabis-based elixirs, cannabis dispensary retail stores, and additional cannabis medicines in other forms.