Interview with Dr. Michael Hoffer, lead investigator (University of Miami) studying a cannabidiod-based pill for concussion treatment
Interview by Olivia Collis
Dr. Michael Hoffer, an otolaryngologist (ear nose and throat doctor), is working alongside a team of researchers at the University of Miami on a five-year study that will evaluate the efficacy of a new cannabinoid-based pill as a concussion treatment. Additional information about Dr. Hoffer’s clinical trials can be found on our CBD research page, and a summary of this study can be seen in this blog post.
Over the course of a brief phone interview, Dr. Hoffer graciously answered questions pertaining to the University of Miami study and discussed why CBD treatment has gained so much interest, common misconceptions about this treatment, and the red flags to be wary of when researching CBD.
The University of Miami study is currently in the preclinical stage of their study, and focusing just on CBD for now, not on the planned pill which will combine CBD and dexanabinol. The researchers are delivering CBD in pure powder form to animals via injection and will be starting a new trial in which CBD is delivered to animals orally.
Dr. Hoffer explained that “the preclinical stage is basically developing usually animal model data to show that the medicine is safe and the medicine can be used and is effective. It at least is worth a try out in humans.” Clinical trials will follow the preclinical stage.
When asked why CBD has gained so much attention as a potential treatment for concussion, Dr. Hoffer cited two central reasons. Firstly, CBD’s success as a treatment in other brain disease models (especially epilepsy), coupled with its “relative safety and tolerability” compared to other treatments, make CBD of new and notable interest in the realm of concussion treatment. Secondly, the stigmas surrounding CBD and marijuana usage have steadily diminished as legislation across the U.S has moved towards their recreational and medical legalization. This has contributed to the general population’s increasing willingness to study and embrace CBD as a new therapy for many neurological conditions, including concussion.
Moreover, Dr. Hoffer explained how the limitations of existing concussion treatments have created a need that CBD could potentially meet. He elucidated that current concussion treatments are “aimed at the symptoms. If you have a headache, you have a headache medicine. If you have anxiety, you need anxiety medicine.” And so although these treatments address concussion symptoms, “they don’t treat the underlying pathophysiology.” Dr. Hoffer noted that CBD, however, has the potential “to get at the actual brain injury and either stabilize it, or prevent it from spreading, or even reverse some of it.”
Next, Dr. Hoffer cited that the main misconception surrounding CBD is the “method of taking it.” For example, he explained that when you buy CBD oil--whether locally, online, or at a supplement store -- “you don’t know what you’re getting. In fact, many of those [oils] don’t even have CBD in them. If they do, the percentages and the purities are very, very speculative.” The CBD that would be medically prescribed as a treatment for concussion -- the type that Dr. Hoffer and his colleagues are testing in their study -- would be a pill containing medicinal grade, 99% CBD. This form of CBD, Dr. Hoffer warns, is not available for purchase yet. “Even if we prove with a large clinical trial that CBD works,” he noted, “we have to get it into a drug form. We can’t just let people buy it online.”
Finally, Dr. Hoffer acknowledged that with the increasing popularity of CBD in today’s world, it is crucial to consult accurate sources of information when researching it. He advised that “peer-reviewed medical journals,” on the whole, provide the most legitimate research about CBD.
For more information about Dr. Hoffer’s CBD research, visit https://news.miami.edu/stories/2016/10/could-a-pill-treat-concussions.html