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Cannabis is a medicine, not a drug

Paracelsus knew that the distance between poison and medicine is measured only by dosage 500 years ago. There is no point in talking about what the human liver thinks about the difference between a glass and a bottle of wine.

However, how easy it is to cause a storm of indignation in medical and near-medical circles by declaring that the same thing is true of the famous cannabis (Indian hemp), from which the equally famous marijuana is made, better known to us under the name of anasha. Meanwhile, in this case, the situation is exactly the same: low doses of this plant material can be an excellent medicine.

The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has its roots in the medical traditions of ancient China, India and Egypt, says Franjo Grotenhermen, chairman of the Cannabis in Medicine Society and a doctor from Cologne. Incidentally, the society in question is an association of German-speaking doctors, pharmacologists and, most importantly, patients who advocate for the legalization of the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

They justify their actions by their desire to help many patients suffering from the side effects of traditional drugs.
But let's return from the protesting supporters of marijuana legalization to the history of the issue. Cannabis appeared in the medical textbooks of European doctors in the mid-19th century thanks to British doctors who brought knowledge of the medicinal herb from what was then colonial India. They appreciated the pain-relieving, sedative and anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis.

The main problem was that the concentration of the active substance in hemp is quite unstable, although the dosage must be observed very precisely.

Today, pharmacologists already know exactly what is beneficial in hemp: of the 480 chemical compounds known today, the main active ingredient (from the point of view of pharmacologists) is the so-called. tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But scientists did not rest on this discovery: 25 years ago, after combing the human body from top to bottom, they were still able to describe specific cannabinoid receptors found in the brain, in the immune system and some other “places.” Especially many of these receptors are present in those parts of the brain that are responsible for the perception of pain.

This is why cannabis is often used to treat chronic pain (migraine, degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system, nerve damage, etc.).

The ability of THC to suppress nausea and stimulate appetite has been studied best in AIDS and cancer patients. Thus, patients with severe forms of malignant tumors often suffer from the consequences of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the most common of which is nausea. It can be so strong that patients often simply cannot eat. And since the substances contained in cannabis, in addition to suppressing nausea, also stimulate appetite, their use could prevent the increasing weight loss of patients (we will add: in case of permission to use cannabis). Also, the positive effect of cannabis on eye diseases associated with increased intraocular pressure has been clinically studied and confirmed (under the influence of cannabis, the pressure inside the orbit decreases by 50 percent).

As for cannabis overdose, this condition is dangerous only for the patient’s psyche, since there are no cannabis receptors in the vital centers of the medulla oblongata.

Despite these benefits, cannabis is officially banned in most countries. However, stubborn hemp sprouts are making their way to the light through all prohibitions, and since 1985, synthetic THC (under the trade name Marinol) has been legalized for medical use in the United States.

A little later, the same thing happened in Canada. As for the countries of Western Europe, research is currently underway on the medicinal effect of substances contained in hemp. In particular, three Berlin clinics are conducting a study in which AIDS patients are offered synthetic THC, cannabis extract or a placebo to relieve pain.

It seems that even in conservative Europe the ice has been broken: Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that patients at the Federal Institute for Medicines and Parapharmacy in Berlin have the right to apply for the use of medications containing THC. However, officials have taken this decision too literally: you can ask, but you can never get a positive answer to your request! In any case, all requests have been rejected to date. However, in neighboring Switzerland, similar medications are already available, so if necessary, it is not difficult to cross the border in search of the right drug.

In Russia today the issue of using THC-containing drugs is not relevant, in any case, there are no discussions on this topic. In addition, the folk tradition of treating most diseases with alcoholic drinks is unlikely to allow the experience known since ancient times to be introduced to our harsh soil in the near future.

medmedia.ru

On the website Cannabis Fun Club in Russia You can find out the latest news about marijuana and hemp. In the section gardening you can learn all about growing marijuana and hemp. In the section workshop describes how to smoke marijuana, how to make a joint and how to make hashish. There is also a Rastafarian forum where you can clarify any question you are interested in.