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What is Medical Cannabis?

The Cannabis plant has been a utilized form of medicine for more than 5000 years, due to its useful botanical elements, which encompass various healing properties including providing relief of chronic pain, aids in fighting cancer, alleviates anxiety and many other healing properties. Although there are differing opinions, researchers have arguably concluded that the Cannabis plant has numerous therapeutic properties, as endocannabinoid receptors are present in almost every organ in the human body.1 Medical Marijuana is essentially the cannabis plant in its purest form. The extracts of such plant are generally used for recreational purposes, however, once prescribed in calculated doses, it provides relief to various different types of medical and also mental strains. Medical marijuana is a botanical medicine which is usuallyderived from two different kinds of species of Marijuana plants; Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. The latter both produce different effects and differ substantially in their medicinal properties and chemical composition.2 There are roughly 100 different kinds of chemicals which are found in the cannabis plant and such chemicals are commonly known as cannabinoids; each having a different effect on the body when ingested. However, for medicinal purposes, the main two branches of chemicals used are the Delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the Cannabidiol (CBD).3

Although medical cannabis has only been FDA approved for the treatment of Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, which are both rare epileptic disorders, it has proven highly useful in treating a wide spectrum of illnesses and autoimmune diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer, Epilepsy, Glaucoma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s Disease, as well as Schizophrenia. Cannabinoids have multiple similarities to the chemicals which are naturally produced in the human body, for example in individuals who suffer from autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, therefore, medical cannabis acts as a relaxing stimulant for tight muscles. Such treatment also stimulates appetite in individuals suffering from AIDS as well as Anorexia.4 Apart from physical treatment and relief, medical marijuana has also been found to improve neuroplasticity in the brain which aids in mood regulation and emotional health; calming individuals who suffer from high anxiety levels and depression.5

Patients are prescribed 2mg of CBD every 8 hours, this amount is generally tolerated by most individuals, as high doses can cause side-effects. The said amount may be continuously increased until the patient feels relieved from the symptoms they are experiencing. If a dose exceeds 50mg of CBD, and does not provide the patient with any relief, THC will then be introduced. The starting amount of THC is miniscule, but it is gradually increased until the desired result is established. Most individuals tend to have subsided symptoms when they have

1'Cannabis As Medicine' (Painclinic.com.mt) <https://www.painclinic.com.mt/cannabis-as-medicine/> a 2ProCon.org., ‘What Are the Differences between Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa, and How do they vary in their Potential Medical Utility?’ (ProCon.Org, 30 May 2008) <https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/questions/what-are-the-differences-between-cannabis-indica-andcannabis-sativa-and-how-do-they-vary-in-their-potential-medical-utility/> accessed on 2nd April 2020 3Medical Marijuana FAQ, <https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/qa/what-is-medical-marijuana> accessed on 2nd April 2020 4Medical Marijuana FAQ, <https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/medical-marijuana-faq> accessed 2 April 2020 5Erica Oberg, ‘Medical Marijuana (Medical Cannabis)’, (MedicineNet, 14 November 2019) <https://www.medicinenet.com/medical_marijuana_medical_cannabis/article.htm> accessed 3 April 2020