Multi-state cannabis company, Vireo Health International, Inc. has announced the approval of their patent application for “Tobacco Products with Cannabinoid Additives and Methods for Reducing the Harm Associated with Tobacco Use.”
Vireo announced on Thursday that they had received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, signaling the completion of the final step in the approval process.
Vireo says that using cannabinoid additives in tobacco products is associated with reduced inflammation, irritation, and carcinogenicity.
“This patent is a component of our strategy to disrupt the tobacco industry and help save lives,” said Vireo CEO, Kyle Kingsley, MD in a statement. “As a physician, I am passionate about finding ways to use cannabis to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and has a significant annual impact on healthcare costs reaching into the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Vireo’s new patent covers the use of cannabis-based, harm-reduction agents designed to be added to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco products.
“We look forward to collaborating with research institutions and tobacco companies committed to developing less harmful tobacco products,” said Kingsley.
A Spanish study released in 2016 concluded that there is a large amount of scientific evidence to show that THC and other cannabinoids exhibit anticancer properties in preclinical models of cancer.
