While the recreational debate continues, researchers are studying the effectiveness of cannabis in treating pain, cramps and other medical problems.
At a symposium hosted by the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) as part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2015 Annual Meeting held last week in San Jose, California, experts from North America and the United Kingdom shared their vision of the potential medical cannabis.
"We need to improve our understanding of the role that cannabinoids play in health and disease through research and education for patients, clinicians and health care providers," says Dr. Mark Ware, Director of Clinical Research at MUHC, Canada.
As a specialist in the study of pain, Dr. Ware constantly encounters patients suffering from severe chronic pain, and for some of them, marijuana is an appropriate method of relieving such pain.
"I don't believe that every physician should prescribe medical cannabis or that medical cannabis works for all patients, but it's time to expand our knowledge base on the subject."
A growing number of jurisdictions around the world are allowing the use of natural cannabis, while passing legislation to regulate its production, distribution and licensing. There is considered to be little evidence to support the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes. However, several drugs based on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have already been approved as medicines.
A leading British cannabis researcher, Professor Roger Pertwee, who was one of those who discovered the presence of tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) in cannabis in the 70s, recently co-authored with his colleagues published research results indicating a potential the significance of this substance in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
Psycho-neurologist and director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) at the University of California (San Diego), Dr. Igor Grant, is interested in the short and long-term neuropsychiatric effects of marijuana use. The CMCR has produced some of the most extensive research on the therapeutic effects of medical marijuana.
"Despite the widespread belief that cannabis use causes brain damage, meta-analyses of extensive neurocognitive studies have not shown significant cognitive decline in study participants," said Dr. Grant.
Dr. Grant also added that it is possible that exposure to cannabis in children and adolescents may lead to impaired brain development and lead to the development of mental disorders in the future, such data obtained from special prospective studies are not enough.
Source estet-portal.com
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