USP will have the first cannabidiol research center in Brazil.

Brazil Agency - The Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo (USP) in the city of Ribeirão Preto will house Brazil's first research center for cannabidiol, a substance derived from marijuana. The center will operate in an extension of the university's mental health building and is expected to be ready in the second half of this year.

For decades, scientists have been obtaining good results using cannabidiol to treat patients with schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. In clinical studies, cannabidiol has proven effective in reducing psychotic symptoms in patients with mental illnesses.

Antonio Waldo Zuardi, a USP professor and coordinator of the new center, says he began studying the substance in 1976, during his doctoral studies at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). In 1982, Zuardi began conducting the research at USP.

The study at USP will analyze the response of cannabidiol in more than 120 children and adolescents suffering from refractory epilepsy, that is, when traditional medications are ineffective. In this research, the new center will have one wing dedicated to basic laboratory research and another focused on clinical research with patients and volunteers.

Previously prohibited, cannabidiol received authorization from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in March of last year. Medical prescription and importation, by individuals, of medications and products containing cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their formulation for personal use and health treatment were permitted.

Cannabidiol, however, is not yet registered in the country, as its safety and efficacy have not been proven by Brazilian health authorities. To this end, researchers at USP will use the center to test the substance and, in the future, make it available to the public.