Project Twenty21 medical cannabis study expands to Australia

A large-scale observational study on medical cannabis, originally launched in the UK, is now present in Australia and looking for participants.

The Twenty21 project launched in 2019 with the aim of establishing the UK's largest body of evidence on the efficacy and tolerability of medical cannabis, and providing patients with access to medicines at reduced prices.

The latter objective was achieved through partnerships with licensed producers to subsidize the cost; the quid pro quo being that patients had to consent to their medical data being collected by the organization leading the initiative, Drug Science.

Although the program fell short of its ambitious target to reach 20,000 patients by the end of last year, With only 2,000 patients registered, it has been extended to the end of 2022 in the UK. This extension is accompanied by changes in the pricing of medical cannabis.

Extension to Australia

Drug Science announced that the project would also operate in Australia in collaboration with the’Australasian College of Cannabinoid Medicine (ACCM), the research arm of Releaf Group.

The Australian component of the Twenty21 study, which will be carried out in the Releaf Clinics, will focus on gathering data on the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and multiple sclerosis. Participants in the study will complete online questionnaires every three months for 12 months.

«By engaging at least 1,000 patients locally, we intend to track the outcomes of their medical cannabis treatments to gain valuable insights that will help improve patient care in Australia,» said Scientific Director of Releaf Group and researcher, Professor Kylie O'Brien.

Among other criteria, eligible participants must be about to consult or have just consulted a Releaf Clinics. People already using cannabis for medical purposes cannot participate. Cannabis-based medicines prescribed to study participants will be available at a reduced price for the duration of their participation.

Further information on the study and participation is available at available here.

Study results will be made public on the ACCM website and submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication.