Student researching medical cannabis to study at Oxford

Ariana said that despite "stigma", science was about "being open to where the evidence leads"

A teenager who has secured a spot at the University of Oxford says the way cannabis has helped her mother's condition "opened my eyes to its medical potential".

Ariana Howells, 17, from Barry in Wales, who achieved three A*s and one A in A-level biology, chemistry, maths, and English literature, plus 97% in her Extended Project Qualification, will now take her place at St Hilda College to study biochemistry.

Her interest in medical cannabis has highlighted the drug's promise, as well as gaps in existing research.

She said that despite "stigma and strong media opinions", science was about "being open to where the evidence leads".

Ariana, who is a scholarship student at Cardiff Sixth Form College, examined the extent THC, a component of cannabis, can "negatively affect sleep architecture" as part of her studies.

"There were only seven studies worth citing," Ariana said.

"I expected clearer answers, but what I found was a real need for more in-depth, unbiased research.

"This is something I want to keep exploring at university and beyond."

Her mother lives with Crohn's disease, an incurable chronic inflammatory bowel condition.

Ariana believes medical cannabis has played a crucial role in improving her quality of life.

Her parents run Cannabis Clinic Cardiff where the teenager has spent the last two years helping with admin and learning about the evolving science behind the plant-based treatment.

"Seeing my mum's condition and the way cannabis helped her and the patients who visit our clinic really opened my eyes to its medical potential," she said.

"My dad is also a senior psychiatrist, so I've grown up in a household where science and care come together."

Outside of school, she has earned gold in the Biology Olympiad and is a competitive ice skater.

In preparation for Oxford, Ariana plans to channel her energy into drug development and mental health research, and she is especially interested how medical cannabis could one day transform care.

"There's still stigma and strong media opinions," she said.

"But science is about asking difficult questions and being open to where the evidence leads."