Interview to Lorena Beltrán, one of the most prominent investigators and activists of Cannabis in Latin America

Lorena Beltrán

CannabiSalud CEO

She started her career in the Cannabis industry in Denver, Colorado in 2014. By that time, she founded CannabiSalud, the first international congress on medicinal Cannabis for healthcare professionals in Mexico, which has positioned itself as one of the most important educational platforms for both health and business sectors. In 2018 she moved to Mexico City and co-founded Endonatura Labs S.A. de C.V., a company focused on research, advisory, and activities within the legal framework. Lorena continues her education by participating as a speaker in major foreign congresses, such as CannaTech in Israel and Panamá, MjBiz in Las Vegas and Bogotá, ExpoMedeWeed in Medellín, and many more in the United States and Canada. Currently, she leads the movement for the Legalization 4/2020, a coalition of associations and companies, formalized and constituted in the Alianza Latinoamericana de la Cannabis A.C.

Besides positioning the country as one of the main players in the Cannabis industry around the world, Lorena is an excellent, reliable, and always up-to-date source to clarify any question on marijuana.

Dear Lorena, can you tell us WHAT IS THE LEGAL REGULATION POSTULATED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON THE USE OF CANNABIS IN MEXICO? WHICH ARE THE PERMITTED USES IN THE COUNTRY?

Currently, Cannabis regulation in Mexico is addressing the medicinal issue. In 2017, the first law was approved, amending the General Health Law as well as the Federal Penal Code to allow the importation of derivatives of Cannabis intended for medical or therapeutic purposes and the domestic production from the seeding to the final product. Having all this production in Mexico is also possible, but only for the development of medicinal products. This law was submitted, approved, and issued in 2017, but it had to wait for regulation or guidelines for more than three years though. Recently, in January 2021, COFEPRIS and the Ministry of Health issued the regulations for this law, i.e., the rules of the game, which essentially refer to which type of licenses will be granted by COFEPRIS. Also, the basic information related to importation and domestic production can be requested. At this time, the categories of permitted products under this regulation are only two: herbal and pharmaceutical medicines. So, with this regulation, we can expect that universities, private, public institutions, or companies request these licenses to start up the medicinal use industry. There is another discussion that is taking place in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate about a new law that would expand the use of Cannabis that we have permitted until now, which is only medicinal. In this new law draft, it is proposed to liberate the use and production of Cannabis for recreational use. Also, the use of hemp for industrial use was declared and established. This proposal is not yet law but a draft, since it was authorized by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, but the approval by the Executive power, i.e., the signature of the President is needed in order to publish the law in the Official Federation Journal. Once the law is published, from that day, the government will have 180 days to implement the guidelines for the law. In the meantime, we currently work with the significantly -limited medicinal use law; we believe that the guidelines are even more restrictive than a general law since it does not include food, beverage, and cosmetics, although in a previous discussion

it was mentioned that those products will be permitted, provided they had less than 1% of THC –the plant’s psychoactive agent– since that percentage no longer implies a risk for the health, and therefore, the goods could be free sale products. However, this was not established in the guidelines and we only have products available for sale with a medical prescription, provided the product meets the requirements, i.e., when clinical investigations support the product. Therefore, this type of Cannabis drug product is not available in the market. I think we still need to see more participation and investment in this subject since we know that, for the pharmaceutical industry, the development of these products is costly. So, at this time, there is no expedited, safe, or efficient access to these products for patients, who remain in the line.

On other occasions you have spoken about the compounds of the Cannabis plant, could you please tell us WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND CANNABINOIDS?

The compounds contained in this plant are the phytocannabinoids “Phyto” since it is a plant, but it happens that humans and mammals also produce remarkably similar compounds to phytocannabinoids, called endocannabinoids. Then, during the ‘60s, research led by Israeli physicians and scientists discovered that these two molecules are almost identical and that humans and mammals have an endocannabinoid system with specific receptors for those molecules. Thus, our relationship with the plant is much more direct and tighter than we expected. It happens that, having these receptors over our cells, the receptors call the endocannabinoids when a cell gets swollen. When this happens, the cell “asks for help” since these compounds whether cannabinoids or phytocannabinoids have antioxidative and neuroprotective functions hence, helping to deflate the cell.

According to your extensive knowledge WHICH IS SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF CANNABIS?

After being scientifically and anecdotally proven, and with ancestral evidence, now we know that the plant has plenty of benefits for health, as well as for the environment and many other applications, still probable unknown for our society. Basically, the Cannabis plant, marijuana, or hemp are the same plant, and the scientific term is Cannabis. Then, we have two more denominations to differentiate the psychoactive Cannabis from the non-psychoactive. The psychoactive Cannabis with high percentages of THC (the compound that triggers the psycho-activity) is known as marijuana, and the non-psychoactive Cannabis is called hemp since it contains a lower percentage of THC. In Mexico, the law states that a Cannabis plant with less than 1% of THC is considered hemp.

We know that these compounds help to mitigate pain and many conditions since 80% of diseases attacking humans involve cell inflammation. From there, we can infer that the compounds of this plant fit perfectly with the receptors of our endocannabinoid system like a lock and key, reducing inflammation or avoiding many diseases that we endure as humans. The plant may not be a miracle drug, but its functions –scientifically proven– help patients with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, cancer, arthritis, anxiety, depression, pain, and many more. The huge therapeutic potential of this plant is out of the question, and only a third of the plant’s phytocannabinoids have probably been studied. There is still a long road in researching, but this is the perfect time for Mexico. Being Cannabis’ medicinal use legalized at the Federal level, a gate for the so-needed investigations in Mexico opens with all the potential to develop and discover new findings on the plant, our body, and our relationship with the plant.

In both, social and political, WHICH ARE THE TABOOS, PREJUDICES, OR STIGMAS THAT YOU HAVE FACED ON THE USE OF MARIJUANA FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES?

The Cannabis plant was prohibited about 101 years ago; before, it was a common-use plant. Both oils and flowers –where the cannabinoids, CBD, THC, etc. concentrate– were used for therapeutic uses, long time ago. In fact, the Cannabis plant was found in the American and Mexican Pharmacopoeias, and in the Mexican Book of Herbalism. However, when Prohibition started in the United States in the 40s–50s, the plant was removed from these books and from any scientific and investigational papers to wipe the slate clean because Cannabis started to become a threat to other several industries. The most impacted industry was the pharmaceutical, although several more were

affected, such as the oil industry, paper, and car manufacturing since the plant also has industrial uses. Its stem contains cellulose, a very resistant fiber that, after being transformed into raw materials can produce paper, plastic, biological fuel, construction materials, among others. Then, this plant became a threat to other industries, so aggressive lobbying took place against Cannabis, including a media campaign launched to demonize the plant. There were documentaries like Reefer Madness, where they explained that marijuana was only consumed by illegal Mexican immigrants coming to the United States and by African Americans; that the plant turned people crazy, violent, and suicidal with trends to commit sexual assault. However, these behaviors had nothing to do with the actual effect of the plant; at the end of the day, joint lobbying with the government enacted the prohibition of this ancestral plant, which always had been in contact with humanity. From there, massive stigmatization, demonizing the plant started. The United States prohibited marijuana about the same time that the DEA agency was created – very convenient, I would say. We also know that these political bodies generate substantial income for fighting drug dealers given the drug prohibition.

Many things occurred during those years that promoted the prohibition of the plant, however, they had nothing to do with the psychoactive effect. A long time ago, our families grew up under an absolute prohibition; us too, but it is recently that we are glimpsing the transition from the illegal use to the legal consumption, so it would not be fair to judge people who continue demonizing the plant because they probably grew-up under those banning circumstances. Now, it is our turn to re-educate and re-learn ourselves, and to recognize the true benefits that this plant holds for humankind and the environment. Little by little, we are breaking those chains. Evidently, Mexico is a country with a very conservative, religious, and double-standard population, inflamed by lies about this plant broadcasted by notorious media corporations, maintain the fear on the plant. It is to note that the drug prohibition, including the Cannabis plant, and the war against drug dealers have caused more deaths than the consumption of the drug by itself.

It is important to mention that Cannabis, being a plant, contains compounds almost identical to those produced by humans, as well as the phytocannabinoids receptors of the plant, so no death for the consumption or excess of Cannabis has been reported, there is no such thing. We often confuse things and use to hear our granny or mom saying: “here comes that pothead-drunkard neighbor of yours” or “be careful, those guys are junkies”. The truth is people who look that intoxicated or out of their minds is because they are not only on Cannabis, otherwise, their behavior would be totally different. But we use to label everyone as a pothead although this person uses other harder drugs. Alcohol is much more harmful to the body, smoking too. Then, we still have to do a lot to share and educate. May people have the will to learn. Information is a click away, not watching conservative TV shows that still demonize the plant. But, if we surf through scientific websites, there are numerous papers and literature, published a long time ago. Thus, I invite people to not be blurred by double standards and for whatever our relatives had instilled us in the past for we are evolving, the science never stops, and we are realizing of many things that we thought never would be real, but recently, have been scientifically proved. Unfortunately, now humans require that everything be demonstrated by science. We even need that science tells us that fruits and vegetables are healthy to believe it. As humankind, I think we have lost some common sense because, we are talking about a plant, not materials transformed with external chemical components like cocaine. The last is produced from a plant, but if we chew some coca plant, the effect would not be as deadly as the one posed by the chemically processed coca powder. The danger lies there. On the other hand, the Cannabis plant is overall consumed in its natural form. If cannabinoids are to be extracted, the processes to obtain the resin would be basically natural; the resin is the only compound to be consumed with no further additions. When more ingredients are added we talk about a combination e.g., olive or coconut oil, to be administered sublingually. Mexico treasures a great knowledge in herbal remedies and combining the plant would have an even better effect on the health of persons. So, it is as simple as that, to recover our common sense recognizing that this is just a plant, do some research and stop believing what we watch in soap operas and the news. Currently, elections are coming, which means, a political clash between parties. Cannabis case is being delayed and used as a weapon to attack each other; parties favoring the use of Cannabis and others not. Well, we need to disregard this electoral war and continue advancing with a fair, inclusive regulation with a true social, environmental, and economic impact in our country for Mexicans.

As part of your formation and involvement in the Cannabis case, you have traveled to several countries like Israel, United States, Canada, Colombia, etc., learning the positive aspects of the use and management of medicinal Cannabis. Thus, and thinking about the future of Mexico, WHAT POSITIVE ASPECTS YOU CONSIDER COULD BE REPLICATED IN MEXICO OR WHAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED?

Mexico, after legalizing the use of Cannabis at the federal level, would be the third country in the world to do so. There are many countries with regulations only for medicinal use, others for hemp industrial use, but countries with a full federal law for medicinal, recreational, and industrial use of Cannabis there are only three: Uruguay, Colombia, and soon, Mexico. However, there is a significant learning curve that we observe from these countries, examining what worked and what did not. For example, Uruguay, a relatively small country, allowed a full regulation on the use of Cannabis mainly driven by human rights and social justice. That was the true reason to legalize it, rather than an economic or business point of view. So, there was not too much fuss about it, and the huge economic impact is yet to be seen since the legalization only allowed people to have their plants at home for self-cultivation, so the consumer would not be prosecuted, and some other minor changes. But then, you have Canada, a much larger and visible country where all uses were legalized too; however, we can see things that did not work so well, like taxation. A high taxation regime for both processes and final product discourages individuals from working illegally and transit into a legal industry since they would be not willing to pay high taxes; they rather prefer continuing their operations in the black market without contributing to the authorities and still generate the same income, or even more. This is an error not only observed in Canada but also in the United States where there is no federal law either. Instead, the government is legalizing Cannabis state by state, which happens to be extraordinarily complex since every state has its own regulations and turns to be quite different. In such a case, a market saturation arises, leading to a significant illegal market and the transportation of materials from one state to another. We are witnesses of all these events, so, we insist that here in Mexico, the incoming law be relaxed in terms of taxation for recreational and industrial use. This task corresponds to the Chamber of Deputies and shall be discussed in the upcoming parliamentary period, starting in September. We insist on a progressive tax like those of alcohol and tobacco because many of the regulations they pretend to apply to Cannabis are similar

to those of tobacco. If an initial extremely high tax is established, people would be discouraged to participate in the legal market where many of the so-needed taxes would be lost since increased taxation is generated from the recreational products and industrial use while taxes for medicinal products are extremely low or inexistent. It may not be possible to affirm that, whatever had worked overseas is going to work in Mexico, a complex and different country, scarred by a history of drug dealing, a narco-war, corrupted governments, and social conservativeness mindset. So, Mexico faces a challenge to implement a regulation that fits like a glove.

To conclude, WHICH ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CONVERTING MEXICO INTO A PARADISE FOR THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CANNABIS?

Mexico has been one of the main producers of Cannabis around the world; and now that we are entering into the legal industry, many opportunities are open for the research and development of technologies, as well as discovering more findings on the plant and the development of Cannabis-based products. Currently, there are lots of nutrition supplements, cosmetics, food, etc.; however, products supported by formal clinical research are just a few. The FDA and MTA have approved about four, as much; in the European Union, I think there are two. Globally, the only products endorsed by clinical research, proving that they work on something specific are no more than ten. Mexico faces an awesome opportunity to develop such Cannabis clinical pharmaceutical investigation to produce this type of goods, which shall include all the relevant information about how many milligrams must be taken or to have a more established parameter to start a dosage for a specific condition. For example, among the products approved by the FDA, there is one specifically for epilepsy, one for cancer, another for pain, but imagine if we would have the ability to produce goods for 80% of the diseases suffered by humans. The above represents a huge opportunity for our country, particularly since we will have a federal regulation, something that even the United States lack of. Therefore, there is a lot of interest from companies and foreign investors to take the stake in Mexico, on our people, and the development of new technologies. Likewise, the interest is not only for medicinal use, but the industrial applications, a milestone for the country since its future looks prominent. With all this, it is not a surprise that the eyes of the world are over Mexico now.

The interview was generated by the publishing house of the Clinical Research Insider.