Cannabics Pharmaceuticals, based in Bethesda, Md., has inked a research agreement with the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) in Israel, for the screening of potential anticancer cannabinoid compounds.

Cannabics Pharmaceuticals will collaborate with the biology department of the Technion to develop a diagnostic system that screens the anti-cancer properties of cannabis-based active ingredients. This system would be harnessed to explore different types of cancer cells treated with a multitude of cannabinoid combinations.

Dr. Eyal Ballan, a scientist of Cannabics Pharmaceuticals, said, "Cannabinoid-based anticancer medicine could be a potent therapy without the side effects related to chemotherapy."

The company said a large body of scientific data indicates that cannabinoids specifically inhibit cancer cell growth and promote cancer cell death.