Defending Whole Plant Hemp: A Letter to Senator Rand Paul
Senator Paul,
Thank you for your recent support to maintain access to whole plant extracted hemp
derived cannabinoids under 0.3% THC. We have been researching whole plant extracted
hemp's ability to positively affect the diseases born out of chronic inflammatory patterns
since 2014.
In order to learn, we gave ALL of our proprietary formulations and clinical management to
the consumers without any cost for over 11 years. We then research and publish the
safety, toxicology and consumer outcomes in refereed journals.
You, too, have a very strong clinical background. I am writing to affirm that your decision to
protect hemp is morally and scientifically sound. The literature continues to support Dr.
Mechoulam and Dr. Russo's position of a whole plant extracted "entourage of molecules."
When compared to whole plant formulations, synthetic and/or isolated cannabinoids
require much higher steady stream dosages, yielding poor outcomes with unacceptable
safety and toxicology risks. We have managed hundreds of catastrophic seizure patients
for over 11 years, and our dosage is 1 mg/kg/day, while the isolated FDA approved drug,
Epidiolex, ranges from 20 - 50 mg/kg/day. Devinsky is the Father of Epidiolex and he
published a solid physiological review in 2024, stating that Epidiolex does not truly
suppress seizures. In fact, the required CBD dosage is so high that it adversely affects the
p450 pathways, thereby, creating drug to drug interactions with the Anti-Epilepsy Drugs,
especially elevating the benzodiazepines' steady stream concentration up to 400%.
Whole plant hemp is not a good business model for Big Pharma, and in my opinion, this is
where the true battle lies over hemp's regulatory models.
You are a true pioneer, Dr. Paul. Your protection of whole plant extracted hemp is critical to
the successful treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions, and jobs for the American
Farmer.
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Trent Jones,
CEO, Apothio, LLC