Cannabis has long been treated as a hallucinogenic drug, banned worldwide for cultivation and use except for its application in fabrics and paper. Recently, cannabis has gained attention as a treatment. The cannabidiol (CBD) component of cannabis has shown effectiveness against various conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and depression, increasing its potential for development as a treatment. In 2018, a new drug derived from cannabis for epilepsy was also released.
As cannabis components demonstrate effectiveness against various diseases, movements to legalize medical cannabis have gained momentum worldwide. Medical cannabis has now been legalized in over 56 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. Even Japan, which has traditionally been conservative regarding drugs, allowed CBD use in 2023, while France is currently working on amending laws for legalization. South Korea also restricted the use of CBD treatments in 2019.
If cannabis is developed for medical use, it can benefit not only patients but the entire country. This is because it can create a new growth engine for the pharmaceutical industry while recycling agricultural byproducts. By domesticating medical cannabis that is currently imported, medical costs can be reduced and it can be developed into exportable pharmaceuticals. According to global market insights, the global medical cannabis market is expected to grow to $108 billion (158.4 trillion won) by 2032.
◇ Reducing agitation and seizures while protecting nerve cells
Cannabis has different applications depending on the part used. The stem is utilized in various industries for fibers, paper, and building materials. The seeds are rich in proteins and omega fatty acids and are known as 'superfood,' being used in cosmetics and health functional foods.
The controversial parts are the flowers and leaves of cannabis. Marijuana, which is known to be a drug, contains the component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes hallucination and addiction. While cannabis flowers and leaves contain THC, they also include the therapeutic component CBD. For cannabis to transform into a treatment, a refinement process must occur to extract CBD from the flowers and leaves while reducing the THC component to below 0.3%.
CBD alleviates pain and suppresses excessive agitation without being addictive. In 2015, researchers at New York University's Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center announced findings that CBD alleviates symptoms of epilepsy. Epilepsy causes nerve cells to function excessively, leading to seizures, and CBD enhances the function of GABA receptors, a neurotransmitter that inhibits activity in the brain, thereby reducing seizures. Repeated seizures can cause inflammation in the brain and damage nerve cells, but CBD has anti-inflammatory effects that help protect nerve cells.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the safety of cannabis CBD in 2017. The following year, based on WHO recommendations, the United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs removed cannabis from the drug list for the first time in 60 years. British pharmaceutical company GW Pharmaceuticals developed the epilepsy treatment 'Epidiolex' containing CBD and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018. It was the first FDA approval for a drug containing CBD.
Clinical trial results showed that Epidiolex reduced seizure frequency by over 50% in patients with rare pediatric epilepsy, including 'Dravet syndrome' and 'Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.' In 2021, the FDA approved its use for 'tuberous sclerosis,' which has the highest number of patients. Globally, there are approximately 65 million epilepsy patients, with around 500,000 in South Korea.
Subsequent studies have shown that the CBD component of cannabis is effective for various brain diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. GW Pharmaceuticals is investigating whether Epidiolex is effective for dementia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers at the University of Colorado are conducting Phase 2 clinical trials to assess the efficacy of CBD in patients with Parkinson's disease.
◇ In Korea, it cannot leave the laboratory
The medical cannabis market is rapidly growing. GW Pharmaceuticals, which developed Epidiolex, was acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in 2021 for $7.2 billion (8 trillion won). Epidiolex generated revenue of $972.4 million (1.44 trillion won) last year and is approaching the blockbuster threshold of $1 billion in annual sales.
Countries that allow medical cannabis, such as the United States, Japan, Israel, Germany, and Australia, permit not only research and development (R&D) but also cultivation, production, and export. Medical cannabis has established itself as a new source of revenue in agriculture and is contributing to job creation and the revitalization of local economies. In particular, the United States became the world's largest CBD market with various products such as oils, cosmetics, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals, following the agricultural law amendment in 2018. As of last year, the market size reached $8 billion (10 trillion won).
In South Korea, research on medical cannabis is also being conducted. The Natural Products Research Institute of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in Gangneung is a representative example. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups designated Andong in North Gyeongsang Province as a regulatory-free special zone in 2020, to demonstrate cultivation, development, and production technology for medical cannabis. Domestic company Neocanbio successfully extracted high-purity CBD in the special zone in 2021, using KIST patented technology. Neocanbio was founded by Hahm Jeong-yup, a principal researcher at KIST's Natural Products Research Institute.
However, in South Korea, there is no institutional foundation for industrialization, so the market has struggled to open up. The extraction and production technology for medical cannabis in South Korea is on par with that of overseas, yet it remains unutilized. To export CBD as an active pharmaceutical ingredient, facilities must meet the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements. However, there are currently no clear regulations allowing this in South Korea, making it virtually impossible to obtain approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, according to industry consensus.
Kim Jeong-guk, president of Neocanbio, said, "It is not that South Korea lacks the technology to produce medical cannabis. If we just tear down the solid regulatory barriers a little, many patients in South Korea could benefit from medical cannabis at low costs and high accessibility, just like in many other countries, leading to industrial development as well."
☞ Cannabis
It is a dicot from the Cannabis genus. The fibers produced from the stem are used to make hemp or nets, and the seeds are used as condiments or oil. Dried cannabis leaves and flowers are commonly referred to as marijuana. Cannabis contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive component that causes hallucinations and addiction, and is regulated as a narcotic in most countries. Recent findings indicate that the cannabidiol (CBD) component of cannabis has shown effectiveness against various diseases, such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and depression, increasing its potential for development as a treatment. Currently, over 50 countries worldwide allow the use of medical cannabis.