The tenth anniversary year of the prestigious conference Cannabis and Science will take place at the Brno Planetarium this year. The event will be sponsored by Ing. Vlastimil Vajdák, Director of the St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, and the main partner is again the Czech company Zenplanto. The conference, which will take place on 23 April, will bring together leading Czech and international experts in the field of cannabis research. This year's event also reflects a recent change in the Czech healthcare system - medical cannabis can now be prescribed by general practitioners from April.
"During its existence, the Cannabis and Science Conference has earned its place among the most prestigious scientific meetings of its kind in the world. It is unique in that it focuses primarily on the science, not on the commercial aspects. The tenth anniversary is a significant milestone for us, which we want to celebrate by strengthening our focus on collaboration and knowledge sharing across countries and institutions," says Aleš Hrabák, one of the founders of Zenplanto, the general partner of this year's event.
International participation and experience sharing
The conference will welcome renowned experts from all over the world. For example, the chemist Lumír Hanuš, who has been working at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for more than 30 years, will come to Brno. Nirit Bernstein from the prestigious Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research and neuropsychopharmacologist Ilya Reznik, chairman of the International Association for Cannabinoid Therapy (IACM), will also come from Israel.
Professor Jan Halámek from Texas Tech University will come from the United States, where he deals with the detection of substances and their residues in biological materials. The participation of representatives from Poland, such as Katarzyna Woźniczka from the Medical University of Gdansk, will also be important.
Research, legislation and new knowledge
The conference program will offer a wide range of topics - from the polypharmacology of cannabidiol to the latest research in the field of cannabis and its use in medicine. Important contributions will also be made on the topic of changes in cannabis legislation or the use of cannabis in veterinary care.
Since April this year, GPs have also been able to prescribe cannabis, marking a significant shift in the availability of this treatment option to the wider public. This change is one of the topics that will be discussed in depth at the conference. Experts will focus on both legislative issues and practical experiences from practices and clinical research.
"This year's programme shows where cannabis research has moved over the last decade - from chemistry and physiology to legislation and veterinary care. It is important for us as a partner that the conference will feature the voice of top experts from Israel, the USA, Poland and the Czech Republic. All this confirms that the Czech Republic still has the potential to be a leader in the scientific approach to cannabis," says Aleš Hrabák, co-founder of Zenplanto.
Practical information
The conference will take place on 23 April 2025 at the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, Kraví hora 552/2, 616 00 Brno. Registration is available on the website: www.konopiaveda.cz
A programme full of lectures from top experts from all over the world is prepared for the participants. The event is intended for the professional and lay public, students and teachers of secondary and higher education are also welcome.