Cannabis Science, Inc. (CBIS) CEO Receives Prestigious Industry Leader Award

Cannabis Science, Inc. (CBIS), a U.S. company specializing in the development of cannabinoid-based medicines, announces that the Company has successfully completed participation in the 2018 Global Health Catalyst (GHC) Summit at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. As part of the Company’s participation this year, Cannabis Science chaired a session on phytomedicines in global health and announced a new partnership with Elpasso Farms, one of the most successful farms in South Africa.

Additionally, the Company’s President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Co-Founder, Mr. Raymond C. Dabney, was presented the prestigious Industry Leader Award by the GHC Summit Organizing Committee. Mr. Dabney was presented this award for “…establishing groundbreaking partnerships with African institutions to close the cancer and pain divide, investigating safe phytomedicine alternatives to opioids, and providing support for the development of phytomedicines to reduce global health disparities.” Other awardees recognized during the 2018 GHC Summit included:

• Her Excellency Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, The African Union’s Ambassador to the United States;

• Mr. Bismack Biyombo, a player with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Orlando Magic and philanthropist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

• The Honorable Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County in Kenya and former Minister of Medical Services;

• Mr. Krishnan Suthanthiran, President of Team Best and an entrepreneur with interests in medical products manufacturing, healthcare delivery, and real estate;

• Dr. Nazik Hammad, Vice President for North America for the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) and Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Oncology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario;

• Dr. Eduardo Cazap, Professor and founder of the Latin American and Caribbean Society of Medical Oncology (SLACOM);

• Professor Nicholas Abinya, Professor of Medicine and Head of the Hematology and Oncology Section, Department of Clinical Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Nairobi and Kenyatta National Hospital;

• Professor Dennis and Nancy Palmer, from the Mbingo Baptist Hospital, Cameroon;

• Dr. Groesbeck Preer Parham, Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Medicine; and

• The Government of Rwanda (accepted by Her Excellency Professor Mathilde Mukantabana, Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United States.

Mr. Dabney was the keynote speaker for the Phytomedicines in Global Health Session held on Saturday, May 26th. The theme of this session was From Farm to Bedside: Advancing Clinical Translation of Medical Cannabis and Other Phytomedicines for Global Health. Mr. Dabney discussed the development of effective cannabinoids and the creation of the Cannabis Science Global Consortium, a research and development framework and platform to cooperate and collaborate with stakeholders worldwide. The Cannabis Science Global Consortium links universities, foundations, corporations, and individuals to share research, ideas, and other relevant information, as well as to implement a cutting-edge research program to develop medicines and delivery mechanisms from bench-to-bedside. The Global Consortium also enables the Company to more strategically coordinate its initiatives, including those focused on education, job creation, and skills training.

Cannabis Science’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Allen Herman, moderated the Phytomedicines Session and presented on the role of cannabinoids in reducing the pain therapeutic divide between developed and developing countries, and the Company’s research and development plan.

During the Phytomedicines Session, Mr. Dabney announced the signing of an exclusive partnership agreement between Cannabis Science and Elpasso Farms.  Elpasso Farms is considered one of the most successful farms in South Africa. The 1,000-acre farm is located in Cullinan, a small town approximately 30 kilometers east of Pretoria. Cannabis Science enters into this agreement along with the Company’s educational partner, American States University (ASU).

Under the terms of the agreement, Cannabis Science, ASU, and Elpasso Farms will collaborate to implement an initiative creating an Agriculture Center of Excellence in phytomedicines and commerce, specializing in community, city, and national economic development in South Africa, with plans to expand across the African continent. Specifically, the parties will establish research, development, cultivation, testing, manufacturing, and production facilities on Elpasso’s 1,000-acre site in Cullinan, South Africa. Additionally, in support of these activities and as part of the agreement, Cannabis Science, ASU, and Elpasso Farms will establish the Pan-African Agriculture and Commerce University (PAACU). PAACU will specialize in Agriculture, Medicine, Medical Practitioner, Law, Business, and Entrepreneurial programs for the local community, and will offer a variety of certificate courses and conduct formal research programs using a variety of cannabinoids from associated indigenous plants. PAACU will be responsible for seed incubation, growing, and cultivation of a variety indigenous plants including Cannabis and Hemp.

“Our partnership with Elpasso Farms breaks new ground for Cannabis Science and certainly pushes us to the next level,” stated Mr. Dabney, who is also the Chancellor of ASU. “We currently have a sponsored research program with one of the leading academic and research institutions in South Africa. As part of our broader African Initiative, this agreement with Elpasso Farms will effectively establish Cannabis Science’s headquarters and operations in South Africa. Not only do we expect to significantly grow our business, we intend to leverage ASU to have a positive impact in South Africa through our contributions to economic development, education, skills training, and job creation.”