Diabetes Conference April 28-30

The 22^nd staging of the annual Diabetes Conference will be held from April 28 to 30 at the Hyatt Ziva Hotel, in Rose Hall, St. James.

The conference will feature topics, such as Ganja and its effects on Diabetes. Several studies on the effects of ganja on blood sugar levels, overweight and the alleviation of symptoms, especially the pain from damaged nerves, will also be presented.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmond Bartlett, will open the conference, while President of Northern Caribbean University, Trevor Gardner, will be the keynote speaker.

An award ceremony will be held at the event.  The Sir Phillip Sherlock Award will be given to the Chairman of the Medical Council of Jamaica, Dr. John Hall, who will be sharing his experience of being called to the United States Congress to give his report on his findings on marijuana smokers and how it affected their health.

Additionally, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Winston De La Haye, will be exploring the effects of marijuana on human health.

President of the Diabetes Association of Jamaica, Professor Errol Morrison, told JIS News that these studies, which have been ongoing for over 40 years, “speak to the importance of all the research going on and how it is taking a lot of time and care to unravel the fact that marijuana can and does have important medical effects, which can benefit a number of illnesses, in particular diabetes.”

The Professor pointed out that there will be a Memorial Lecture on former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Hugh Lawson Shearer, who lived with diabetes for over 50 years. This will be delivered by Professor of Psychiatry at the University of the West Indies, Wendell Abel, who will speak on the nerve damage that diabetes causes and how marijuana can help to alleviate the problem.

Professor Morrison said the conference will serve to provide information about ganja and its effects, by bringing local and international researchers together to discuss the subject.

The registration fee for the conference is US$150 for the three days and US$50 for one day.

The conference is being hosted by the University Diabetes Outreach Programme (UDOP), which comprises the University of the West Indies, Northern Caribbean University, University of Technology and the Diabetes Association of Jamaica.

For more information persons may visit www.udop.org.jm or telephone 977-1749.