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{{short description|Cannabis sativa L. (marijuana; hemp) used medicinally}}
[[Image:Drug bottle containing cannbis.jpg|thumb|right|Cannabis Indica (now referred to as ''[[Cannabis sativa]]'' subsp. ''indica''),<ref>
{{other uses of|Cannabis}}
{{cite web
{{redirect|Medical marijuana|the company|Medical Marijuana, Inc.}}
|url=http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/6/966
{{pp-semi-indef}}
|title=Cannabis sativa information from NPGS/GRIN
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}
|publisher=www.ars-grin.gov
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
|accessdate=2008-07-13
{{Use American English|date=October 2017}}
|last=
{{Cannabis sidebar}}
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</ref> Fluid Extract, American Druggists Syndicate, pre-1937.]]


<!-- Definition and uses -->
'''Medical cannabis''', (commonly referred to as "'''Medical marijuana'''"), refers to the use of the ''[[cannabis]]'' plant as a physician-recommended [[Cannabis (drug)|drug]] or [[herbal therapy]], as well as synthetic [[THC]] and [[cannabinoids]].
'''Medical cannabis''', '''medicinal cannabis''' or '''medical marijuana''' ('''MMJ''') refers to [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis products]] and [[cannabinoid|cannabinoid molecule]]s that are [[prescription drug|prescribed]] by [[physician]]s for their patients.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Murnion B | title = Medicinal cannabis | journal = Australian Prescriber | volume = 38 | issue = 6 | pages = 212–15 | date = December 2015 | pmid = 26843715 | pmc = 4674028 | doi = 10.18773/austprescr.2015.072 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= What is medical marijuana? |url= https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine |website= National Institute of Drug Abuse |access-date= 19 April 2016 |date= July 2015 |quote= The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat a disease or symptom. |archive-date= 17 April 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160417154854/https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sarris |first1=Jerome |last2=Sinclair |first2=Justin |last3=Karamacoska |first3=Diana |last4=Davidson |first4=Maggie |last5=Firth |first5=Joseph |date=2020-01-16 |title=Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review |journal=BMC Psychiatry |language=en |volume=20 |issue=1 |page=24 |doi=10.1186/s12888-019-2409-8 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-244X |pmc=6966847 |pmid=31948424}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=O'Brien |first=Kylie |date=2019-06-01 |title=Medicinal Cannabis: Issues of evidence |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876382019300216 |journal=European Journal of Integrative Medicine |volume=28 |pages=114–120 |doi=10.1016/j.eujim.2019.05.009 |issn=1876-3820}}</ref> The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not been as rigorously tested as other medicinal plants due to legal and governmental restrictions, resulting in limited [[clinical research]] to define the safety and efficacy of using cannabis to treat diseases.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Release the strains | journal = Nature Medicine | volume = 21 | issue = 9 | page = 963 | date = September 2015 | pmid = 26340110 | doi = 10.1038/nm.3946 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
There are many studies regarding the use of cannabis in a medicinal context.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6376&page=13 |title=Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base |publisher=Nap.edu |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref name="medmjscience1"/> Drug usage generally requires a prescription, and distribution is usually done within a framework defined by local laws. There are several methods for administration of dosage including smoking the dried cannabis buds, vaporizing them, and drinking, eating, or taking synthetic THC pills.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cannabismd.org/reports/mjcapsules.php |title=CannabisMD Reports : Marijuana in Capsules |publisher=Cannabismd.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/node/1030 |title=Methods of ingestion &#124; Michigan Medical Marijuana Association &#124; News and Information for Michigan's medical marijuana patients and caregivers |publisher=Michiganmedicalmarijuana.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> The comparible efficacy of these methods was the subject of an investigative study by the [[National Institutes of Health]]<ref name="medmjscience1">{{cite web|url=http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/reports/nihpt1.html |title=NIH Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana - Part 1 |publisher=Medmjscience.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


Preliminary evidence has indicated that cannabis might reduce [[nausea]] and [[vomit]]ing during [[chemotherapy]] and reduce [[chronic pain]] and [[muscle spasm]]s.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /><ref name=JAMA2015 /> Regarding non-inhaled cannabis or cannabinoids, a 2021 review found that it provided little relief against chronic pain and sleep disturbance, and caused several transient [[adverse effect]]s, such as cognitive impairment, [[nausea]], and [[drowsiness]].<ref name="wang2021">{{cite journal | last1=Wang | first1=Li | last2=Hong | first2=Patrick J | last3=May | first3=Curtis | last4=Rehman | first4=Yasir | last5=Oparin | first5=Yvgeniy | last6=Hong | first6=Chris J | last7=Hong | first7=Brian Y | last8=AminiLari | first8=Mahmood | last9=Gallo | first9=Lucas | title=Medical cannabis or cannabinoids for chronic non-cancer and cancer related pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials | journal=BMJ | volume=374 | date=2021-09-09 | pages=n1034 | issn=1756-1833 | pmid=34497047 | doi=10.1136/bmj.n1034 | url=https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1034 | doi-access=free | access-date=9 September 2021 | archive-date=9 September 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909220904/https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1034 | url-status=live }}</ref>
Medicinal use of cannabis is legal in a limited number of territories worldwide, including [[Canada]], [[Austria]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Spain]], [[Israel]], [[Finland]] and [[Portugal]]. In the US, fourteen states have recognized medical marijuana: [[Alaska]], [[California]], [[Colorado]], [[Hawaii]], [[Maine]], [[Michigan]], [[Montana]], [[Nevada]], [[New Jersey]], [[New Mexico]], [[Oregon]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Vermont]] and [[Washington]].<ref>[http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=000881 13 Legal Medical Marijuana States: Laws, Fees, and Possession Limits"], ProCon.org. Retrieved April 21, 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Portugals_drug_decriminalization_bizarrely_underappreciated_Greenwald_0406.html |title=Portugal's drug decriminalization 'bizarrely underappreciated': Greenwald |publisher=The Raw Story |date=2009-04-06 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


<!-- Side effects -->
Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use in many cultures. The US Government as represented by the [[Health and Human Services]] Division, holds a [[patent]] for medical marijuana.<ref name="patentstorm1">{{cite web|url=http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6630507.html |title=Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants - US Patent 6630507 Abstract |publisher=Patentstorm.us |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> Yet, medical cannabis remains a controversial issue worldwide.
Short-term use increases the risk of minor and major adverse effects.<ref name=JAMA2015 /> Common side effects include [[dizziness]], feeling tired, vomiting, and [[hallucination]]s.<ref name=JAMA2015 /> Long-term effects of cannabis are not clear.<ref name=JAMA2015 /> Concerns include memory and cognition problems, risk of addiction, [[schizophrenia]] in young people, and the risk of children taking it by accident.<ref name=Borgelt2013 />


Many cultures have used cannabis for therapeutic purposes for thousands of years.<ref name=BenAmar2006>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ben Amar M | title = Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential | journal = Journal of Ethnopharmacology | volume = 105 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 1–25 | date = April 2006 | pmid = 16540272 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2006.02.001 | type = Review | citeseerx = 10.1.1.180.308 }}</ref> Some American medical organizations have requested removal of cannabis from the list of [[Schedule I controlled substance]]s maintained by the United States federal government, followed by regulatory and scientific review.<ref name="ANA" /><ref name="AAFP" /> Others oppose its legalization, such as the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]].<ref name="AAP" />
== Indications ==
===Partial list of clinical applications===
[[File:Women's Alliance For Medical Marijuana - Victoria.JPG|thumb|right|"Victoria", the United States' first legal medical marijuana plant grown by The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana <ref>http://www.wamm.org/</ref>.]]Medical cannabis specialist Dr. [[Tod Mikuriya]] recorded over 250 indications for medical cannabis,<ref>http://www.canorml.org/prop/Mikuriya_ICD-9list.pdf</ref> as classified by the [[International Classification of Diseases]] (ICD-9).<ref>Dale Gieringer, "Medical Use of Cannabis in California," in Franjo Grotenhermen, M.D. & Ethan Russo, M.D., ed., Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Potential, Haworth Press, 2002
[http://www.canorml.org/prop/MMJIndications.htm]</ref>


Medical cannabis can be administered through various methods, including [[capsule (pharmacy)|capsules]], [[throat lozenge|lozenge]]s, [[tincture]]s, [[dermal patch]]es, oral or dermal sprays, [[cannabis edible]]s, and [[Vaporizer (inhalation device)|vaporizing]] or [[Cannabis smoking|smoking dried buds]]. Synthetic cannabinoids are available for prescription use in some countries, such as [[dronabinol|synthetic delta-9-THC]] and [[nabilone]]. Countries that [[legality of cannabis|allow the medical use of whole-plant cannabis]] include Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay. In the United States, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for medical purposes, beginning with the passage of California's [[Proposition 215]] in 1996.<ref name="NCSL" /> Although cannabis remains prohibited for any use at the federal level, the [[Rohrabacher–Farr amendment]] was enacted in December 2014, limiting the ability of federal law to be enforced in states where medical cannabis has been legalized.
In a 2002 review of medical literature, medical cannabis was shown to have established effects in the treatment of [[nausea]], [[vomiting]], [[Premenstrual syndrome|PMS]], unintentional [[weight loss]], and [[lack of appetite]]. Other "relatively well-confirmed" effects were in the treatment of "[[spasticity]], painful conditions, especially neurogenic pain, [[movement disorder]]s, [[asthma]], <nowiki>[and]</nowiki> [[Glaucoma]]".<ref name=medboard>
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{{cite web
|url=http://www.medboardwatch.com/wb/pages/therapeutic-effects.php
|title=DrFrankLucido.com - Therapeutic Effects
|publisher=www.medboardwatch.com
|accessdate=2008-08-08
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref>


== Classification ==
Preliminary findings indicate that cannabis-based drugs could prove useful in treating [[Inflammatory Bowel Disease]] (consisting of [[Crohn's Disease]] and [[Ulcerative Colitis]]),<ref>[http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/28584.php Cannabis-based drugs could offer new hope for [[inflammatory bowel disease]] patients]</ref> [[Migraines]], [[Fibromyalgia]] and related conditions.<ref>http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/clinical.pdf</ref>


In the U.S., the [[National Institute on Drug Abuse]] defines medical cannabis as "using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions".<ref name=nida>{{cite web |publisher= National Institute on Drug Abuse |date= July 2019 |title= Marijuana as Medicine |url= https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine |access-date= 19 April 2016 |archive-date= 17 April 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160417154854/https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine |url-status= live }}</ref>
Medical cannabis has also been found to relieve certain symptoms of [[multiple sclerosis]]<ref>http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/geninfo/CannabinoidsMS_Lancet11-03.pdf</ref> and [[spinal cord injuries]] by exhibiting antispasmodic and muscle relaxant properties as well as stimulating appetite. Clinical trials provide evidence that THC reduces motor and vocal tics of [[Tourette’s syndrome]] and related behavioral problems such as [[obsessive-compulsive]] disorders.<ref>http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/CannabinoidsMedMetaAnalysis06.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051226102503.htm |title=Machinery Of The 'Marijuana Munchies' |publisher=Sciencedaily.com |date=2005-12-26 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


A cannabis plant includes more than 400 different chemicals, of which about 70 are [[cannabinoid]]s.<ref name="Consumer Reports April 2016">{{cite web |author1 = Consumer Reports |title = Up in Smoke: Does Medical Marijuana Work? |url = http://www.consumerreports.org/medical-marijuana/does-medical-marijuana-work/ |website = Consumer Reports |access-date = 24 May 2016 |date = 28 April 2016 |archive-date = 14 March 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045548/https://www.consumerreports.org/medical-marijuana/does-medical-marijuana-work/ |url-status = live }}</ref> In comparison, typical government-approved medications contain only one or two chemicals.<ref name="Consumer Reports April 2016" /> The number of active chemicals in cannabis is one reason why treatment with cannabis is difficult to classify and study.<ref name="Consumer Reports April 2016" />


A 2014 review stated that the variations in ratio of CBD-to-THC in botanical and pharmaceutical preparations determines the therapeutic vs psychoactive effects (CBD attenuates THC's psychoactive effects<ref name="Schubart et al.2014">{{cite journal | vauthors = Schubart CD, Sommer IE, Fusar-Poli P, de Witte L, Kahn RS, Boks MP | title = Cannabidiol as a potential treatment for psychosis | journal = European Neuropsychopharmacology | volume = 24 | issue = 1 | pages = 51–64 | date = January 2014 | pmid = 24309088 | doi = 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.11.002 | s2cid = 13197304 | url = http://cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/CBD-psychosis-2013.pdf | access-date = 9 July 2016 | archive-date = 20 October 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181020210452/http://cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/CBD-psychosis-2013.pdf }}</ref>) of cannabis products.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal | vauthors = Koppel BS, Brust JC, Fife T, Bronstein J, Youssof S, Gronseth G, Gloss D | title = Systematic review: efficacy and safety of medical marijuana in selected neurologic disorders: report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology | journal = Neurology | volume = 82 | issue = 17 | pages = 1556–1563 | date = April 2014 | pmid = 24778283 | pmc = 4011465 | doi = 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000363 }}</ref>
Other studies have shown cannabis to be useful in treating: [[Alcoholism]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/30338.php |title=Role of cannabinoid receptors in alcohol abuse, study |publisher=Medicalnewstoday.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[ADD]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Beaucar |first=Kelley |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,117541,00.html |title=Cannabis 'Scrips to Calm Kids? - Politics &#124; Republican Party &#124; Democratic Party &#124; Political Spectrum |publisher=FOXNews.com |date=2004-04-20 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
ALS ([[Lou Gehrig's disease]]),<ref>{{cite web|author=David Kohn, Baltimore Sun |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/11/05/MNGV39LE091.DTL&type=printable |title=Researchers buzzing about marijuana-derived medicines / Cannabinoids may help against many diseases |publisher=Sfgate.com |date=2004-11-05 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16183560</ref>
Collagen-Induced Arthritis ([[CIA]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pnas.org/content/97/17/9561.full |title=The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituent cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine collagen-induced arthritis — PNAS |publisher=Pnas.org |date=2000-08-15 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Rheumatoid Arthritis]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20051108/pot-based-drug-promising-for-arthritis |title=Pot-Based Drug Promising for Arthritis |publisher=Webmd.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Asthma]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/tashkin/tashkin1.htm |title=Effects of Smoked Marijuana in Experimentally Induced Asthma |publisher=Druglibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Atherosclerosis]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18624956.000 |title=Cannabis may help keep arteries clear - health - 16 April 2005 |doi=10.1038/nature03389 |publisher=New Scientist |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Autism]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/can-babies.htm |title=Prenatal Marijuana Exposure and Neonatal Outcomes in Jamaica: An Ethnographic Study |publisher=Druglibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Bipolar Disorder]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcia.org/research/TheUseofCannabisasaMoodStabilizerinBipolarDisorder.html |title=The Use of Cannabis as a Mood Stabilizer in Bipolar Disorder |publisher=Ukcia.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15888515?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/03/05/48hours/main503022.shtml |title=Recipe For Trouble |publisher=CBS News |date=2007-01-15 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Childhood Mental Disorders,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.counterpunch.org/mikuriya07082006.html |title=Dr. Tod Mikuriya: Cannabis as a Frontline Treatment for Childhood Mental Disorders |publisher=Counterpunch.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Colorectal Cancer]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Home |url=http://gut.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/54/12/1741 |title=The endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide, induces cell death in colorectal carcinoma cells: a possible role for cyclooxygenase 2 - Patsos et al. 54 (12): 1741 - Gut |doi=10.1136/gut.2005.073403 |publisher=Gut.bmj.com |date=2005-08-11 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Depression]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304996,00.html |title=Marijuana Improves Depression in Low Doses, Worsens It in High Doses, Study Says - Health News &#124; Current Health News &#124; Medical News |publisher=FOXNews.com |date=2007-10-25 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/DecreasedDepressionInMjUsers05.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509/version/1 |title=Journal of Clinical Investigation - Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects |publisher=Jci.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pacifier.com/~alive/cmu/depression_and_cannabis.htm |title=AAMC: Cannabis and Depression |publisher=Pacifier.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Diabetic Retinopathy,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060227184647.htm |title=Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy |publisher=Sciencedaily.com |date=2006-02-27 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defeatdiabetes.org/Articles/retinopathy_marijuana060317.htm |title=Marijuana Compound May Help Stop Diabetic Retinopathy |publisher=Defeat Diabetes |date=2006-03-17 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/1/235 |title=Neuroprotective and Blood-Retinal Barrier-Preserving Effects of Cannabidiol in Experimental Diabetes - El-Remessy et al. 168 (1): 235 - American Journal of Pathology |doi=10.2353/ajpath.2006.050500 |publisher=Ajp.amjpathol.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Dystonia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7006 |title=Dystonia |publisher=NORML |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11835452?dopt=Abstract</ref>
[[Epilepsy]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medpot.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9686 |title=Marijuana-Like Chemicals in the Brain Calm Neurons - MedPot.net/Forums |publisher=Medpot.net |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Gastrointestinal Disorders,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7009 |title=Gastrointestinal Disorders |publisher=NORML |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.informapharmascience.com/doi/abs/10.1517/13543784.12.1.39 |title=Informa Pharmaceutical Science - Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs - 12(1):39 - Summary |doi=10.1517/13543784.12.1.39 |publisher=Informapharmascience.com |date=2005-03-02 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Gliomas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marijuana.researchtoday.net/archive/6/2/2201.htm |title=Amphiregulin is a factor for resistance of glioma cells to cannabinoid-induced apoptosis |doi=10.1002/glia.20856 |publisher=Marijuana.researchtoday.net |date=2009-02-20 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/100/1/59 |title=Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1 - Ramer and Hinz 100 (1): 59 - JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute |doi=10.1093/jnci/djm268 |publisher=Jnci.oxfordjournals.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Hepatitis C]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7010 |title=Hepatitis C |publisher=NORML |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://journals.lww.com/eurojgh/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2006&issue=10000&article=00005&type=abstract |title=European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology |doi=10.1097/01.meg.0000216934.22114.51 |publisher=Journals.lww.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Huntington's Disease]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/cannabid.htm |title=Cannabidiol: The Wonder Drug of the 21st Century? |publisher=Druglibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Hypertension]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehempire.com/index.php/cannabis/news/lowering_of_blood_pressure_through_use_of_hashish |title=Lowering of Blood Pressure Through Use of Hashish: The Hempire - [cannabis, britain&#93; |publisher=The Hempire |date=2006-06-20 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehempire.com/index.php/cannabis/news/blood_pressure_lowered_with_cannabis_component |title=Blood Pressure Lowered With Cannabis Component: The Hempire - [cannabis, uk&#93; |publisher=The Hempire |date=2006-06-15 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Incontinence]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7012 |title=Incontinence |publisher=NORML |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Leukemia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/3/1214 |title=Blood - Cannabis-induced cytotoxicity in leukemic cell lines: the role of the cannab |doi=10.1182/blood-2004-03-1182 |publisher=Bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Skin Tumors,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=000884 |title=Peer-Reviewed Studies on Marijuana - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org |publisher=Medicalmarijuana.procon.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jci.org/articles/view/16116/version/1 |title=Journal of Clinical Investigation - Inhibition of skin tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo by activation of cannabinoid receptors |doi=10.1038/sj.onc.1201928 |publisher=Jci.org |date=2003-01-01 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Morning Sickness,<ref>http://74.6.239.67/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=Vancouver+Island+Compassion+Society%2C+morning+sickness%2C+marijuana&fr=slv8-msgr&u=www.mercycenters.org/libry/info_Mothers.doc&w=vancouver+island+compassion+society+societies+morning+sickness+marijuana&d=KJVscZ2uSZD2&icp=1&.intl=us</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_preparation/marijuana.html |title=Mothering Magazine Birth Preparation Article: Medical Marijuana for Severe Morning Sickness |publisher=Mothering.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[MRSA]] (Drug-Resistant Staph Infections),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/21366/ |title=A New MRSA Defense |publisher=Technology Review |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/news/20080904/marijuana-chemicals-may-fight-mrsa |title=Marijuana Ingredients May Fight MRSA |publisher=Webmd.com |date=2008-09-04 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=92425 |title=Chemicals in Marijuana May Fight MRSA - Infectious Diseases: Causes, Types, Prevention, Treatment and Facts on |publisher=Medicinenet.com |date=2008-09-04 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Parkinson's]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2007/february/malenka.html |title=Enhancing activity of marijuana-like chemicals in brain helps treat Parkinson's symptoms in mice, Stanford study finds - Office of Communications & Public Affairs - Stanford University School of Medicine |publisher=Med.stanford.edu |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Pruritus]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Michael Hess |url=http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20051211212223236 |title=Science: Cream with endocannabinoids effective in the treatment of pruritus due to kidney disease |publisher=BBSNews |date=2005-12-11 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W7C-4H8FTRF-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b5834b8cb12cdee2e01a3910314feb79 |title=Journal of Hepatology : The pruritus of cholestasis |doi=10.1016/j.jhep.2005.09.004 |publisher=ScienceDirect |date=2005-10-06 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[PTSD]] (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2616-natural-high-helps-banish-bad-memories.html |title=Natural high helps banish bad memories - 31 July 2002 |publisher=New Scientist |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://salem-news.com/articles/june142007/leveque_61407.php |title=Medical Marijuana: PTSD Medical Malpractice |publisher=Salem-News.Com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/bulletin/ww_en_db_cannabis_artikel.php?id=123#1 |title=IACM-Bulletin |publisher=Cannabis-med.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
[[Sickle Cell Disease]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pacifier.com/~alive/cmu/Sickle_cell.htm |title=AAMC: Those who suffer from sickle-cell disease experience painful episodes or attacks |publisher=Pacifier.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> and
[[Sleep Apnea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5323 |title=Pot Constituents Dramatically Reduce Sleep Apnea, Study Says |publisher=NORML |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12071539?dopt=Abstract</ref>


== Medical uses ==
===Recent studies===
[[File:Cannabis sativa (Köhler).jpg|thumb|right|''Cannabis'' as illustrated in Köhler's ''Book of Medicinal Plants'', 1897]]
====Alzheimer's Disease====


Overall, research into the health effects of medical cannabis has been of low quality and it is not clear whether it is a useful treatment for any condition, or whether harms outweigh any benefit.<ref name=pratt>{{cite journal |vauthors=Pratt M, Stevens A, Thuku M, Butler C, Skidmore B, Wieland LS, Clemons M, Kanji S, Hutton B |title=Benefits and harms of medical cannabis: a scoping review of systematic reviews |journal=Syst Rev |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=320 |date=December 2019 |pmid=31823819 |pmc=6905063 |doi=10.1186/s13643-019-1243-x |type=Systematic review |doi-access=free }}</ref> There is no consistent evidence that it helps with [[chronic pain]] and [[spasticity|muscle spasms]].<ref name=pratt />
Research done by the [[Scripps Research Institute]] in California shows that the active ingredient in marijuana, [[THC]], may prevent the formation of deposits in the brain associated with [[Alzheimer's disease]]. THC was found to prevent an enzyme called [[acetylcholinesterase]] from accelerating the formation of "Alzheimer plaques" in the brain more effectively than commercially marketed drugs. THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer’s patients, as reported in [[Molecular Pharmaceutics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scripps.edu/news/press/080906.html |title=The Scripps Research Institute |publisher=Scripps.edu |date=2006-08-09 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=7:10 p.m. ET |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15145917/ |title=Marijuana may help stave off Alzheimer’s - Alzheimer's Disease- msnbc.com |publisher=MSNBC |date=2006-10-10 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


Low quality evidence suggests its use for reducing [[antiemetic|nausea]] during [[chemotherapy]], improving appetite in [[HIV/AIDS]], improving sleep, and improving [[tic]]s in [[Tourette syndrome]].<ref name=JAMA2015>{{cite journal | vauthors = Whiting PF, Wolff RF, Deshpande S, Di Nisio M, Duffy S, Hernandez AV, Keurentjes JC, Lang S, Misso K, Ryder S, Schmidlkofer S, Westwood M, Kleijnen J | title = Cannabinoids for Medical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | journal = JAMA | volume = 313 | issue = 24 | pages = 2456–73 | date = 23 June 2015 | pmid = 26103030 | doi = 10.1001/jama.2015.6358 | doi-access = free | hdl = 10757/558499 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> When usual treatments are ineffective, [[cannabinoid]]s have also been recommended for [[anorexia]], [[arthritis]], [[glaucoma]],<ref name="Sachs et al. 2015" /> and [[migraine]].<ref name="Distillations">{{cite web |title=Sex(ism), Drugs, and Migraines: Distillations Podcast and Transcript, Episode 237 |date=15 January 2019 |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/podcast/sexism-drugs-and-migraines |website=Distillations |publisher=[[Science History Institute]] |access-date=28 August 2019 |archive-date=14 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045616/https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/podcast/sexism-drugs-and-migraines |url-status=live }}</ref>
====Neuron growth====


It is unclear whether American states might be able to mitigate the adverse effects of the [[opioid epidemic]] by prescribing medical cannabis as an alternative pain management drug.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gilson |first1=Aaron M. |last2=LeBaron |first2=Virginia T. |last3=Vyas |first3=Marianne Beare |title=The use of cannabis in response to the opioid crisis: A review of the literature |journal=Nursing Outlook |date=1 January 2018 |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=56–65 |pmid=28993073 |doi=10.1016/j.outlook.2017.08.012 |issn=0029-6554}}</ref>
A Canadian study shows Marijuana promotes [[neuron]] growth. The [[Neuropsychiatry]] Research Unit at the [[University of Saskatchewan]] suggests the drug could have some benefits when administered regularly in a highly potent form. Whereas most "social drugs" such as [[alcohol]], [[heroin]], [[cocaine]] and [[nicotine]] suppress growth of new [[brain cells]], the researchers found that cannabinoids promoted generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampuses (the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory). The study held true for either plant-derived or synthetic versions of cannabinoids. The findings were published in the 2005 November issue of the [[Journal of Clinical Investigation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=253377&rel_no=1 |title=Study Shows Marijuana Promotes Neuron Growth - OhmyNews International |publisher=English.ohmynews.com |date=2005-10-17 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


Cannabis should not be used in [[pregnancy]].<ref>{{cite journal | author = American College of Obstetricians Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice | title = Committee Opinion No. 637: Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Lactation | journal = Obstetrics and Gynecology | volume = 126 | issue = 1 | pages = 234–38 | date = July 2015 | pmid = 26241291 | doi = 10.1097/01.AOG.0000467192.89321.a6 }}</ref>
====Lung cancer and COPD====


=== Insomnia ===
[[THC]] has been found to reduce tumor growth in common [[lung cancer]] by 50 percent and to significantly reduce the ability of the cancer to spread, say researchers at [[Harvard University]], who tested the chemical in both lab and mouse studies. The researchers suggest that THC might be used in a targeted fashion to treat lung cancer. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm |title=Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Study Shows |publisher=Sciencedaily.com |date=2007-04-17 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Research analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) did not find significant differences in sleep duration between cannabis users and non-users. This suggests that some individuals may perceive benefits from cannabis use in terms of sleep, it may not significantly change overall sleep patterns across the general population.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Diep |first1=Calvin |last2=Tian |first2=Chenchen |last3=Vachhani |first3=Kathak |last4=Won |first4=Christine |last5=Wijeysundera |first5=Duminda N. |last6=Clarke |first6=Hance |last7=Singh |first7=Mandeep |last8=Ladha |first8=Karim S. |date=2021-11-24 |title=Recent cannabis use and nightly sleep duration in adults: a population analysis of the NHANES from 2005 to 2018 |url=https://rapm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/11/24/rapm-2021-103161 |journal=Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine |volume=47 |issue=2 |pages=100–104 |language=en |doi=10.1136/rapm-2021-103161 |issn=1098-7339 |pmid=34873024}}</ref>


A review of literature up to 2018 indicates that cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia. CBD, a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, is of particular interest due to its potential to influence sleep without the psychoactive effects associated with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Walsh |first1=Jennifer H |last2=Maddison |first2=Kathleen J |last3=Rankin |first3=Tim |last4=Murray |first4=Kevin |last5=McArdle |first5=Nigel |last6=Ree |first6=Melissa J |last7=Hillman |first7=David R |last8=Eastwood |first8=Peter R |date=2021-11-12 |title=Treating insomnia symptoms with medicinal cannabis: a randomized, crossover trial of the efficacy of a cannabinoid medicine compared with placebo |journal=SLEEP |language=en |volume=44 |issue=11 |doi=10.1093/sleep/zsab149 |issn=0161-8105 |pmc=8598183 |pmid=34115851}}</ref>
In 2006, Donald Tashkin, M.D., of the [[University of California in Los Angeles]], presented the results of his study, ''Marijuana Use and Lung Cancer: Results of a Case-Control Study''. Tashkin found that smoking marijuana does not appear to increase the risk of lung cancer or head-and-neck malignancies, even among heavy users. The more tobacco a person smoked, the greater their risk of developing lung cancer and other cancers of the head and neck. But people who smoked more marijuana were not at increased risk compared with people who smoked less and people who didn’t smoke at all.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20060523/pot-smoking-not-linked-to-lung-cancer |title=Pot Smoking Not Linked to Lung Cancer |publisher=Webmd.com |date=2006-05-23 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> Marijuana use was associated with cancer risk ratios below 1.0, indicating that a history of pot smoking had no effect on the risk for respiratory cancers. In contrast, [[tobacco]] smoking had a 21-fold risk for cancer. Tashkin concluded, "It's possible that [[tetrahydrocannabinol]] (THC) in marijuana smoke may encourage [[apoptosis]], or programmed cell death, causing cells to die off before they have a chance to undergo malignant transformation".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html?referrer=digg |title=Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection |publisher=washingtonpost.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/LungCancer/3393 |title=Medical News: ATS: Marijuana Smoking Found Non-Carcinogenic - in Hematology/Oncology, Lung Cancer from |publisher=MedPage Today |date=2006-05-24 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


=== Nausea and vomiting ===
Similar findings were released in April 2009 by the Vancouver Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease Research Group. The study presents that smoking both tobacco and marijuana synergistically increased the risk of respiratory symptoms and [[COPD]]. Smoking only marijuana, however, was not associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms of COPD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.physorg.com/news158861123.html |title=Marijuana smoking increases risk of COPD for tobacco smokers |publisher=Physorg.com |date=2009-04-13 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>[http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg814.pdf ]{{dead link|date=April 2009}}</ref> In a related commentary, Dr. Donald Tashkin writes that "we can be close to concluding that marijuana smoking by itself does not lead to COPD".<ref>[http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145921.php</ref>
Medical cannabis is somewhat effective in [[chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting]] (CINV)<ref name=Borgelt2013 /><ref name="Sachs et al. 2015">{{cite journal | vauthors = Sachs J, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D | title = Safety and Toxicology of Cannabinoids | journal = Neurotherapeutics | volume = 12 | issue = 4 | pages = 735–46 | date = October 2015 | pmid = 26269228 | pmc = 4604177 | doi = 10.1007/s13311-015-0380-8 }}</ref> and may be a reasonable option in those who do not improve following preferential treatment.<ref name=Grotenhermen2012 /> Comparative studies have found cannabinoids to be more effective than some conventional antiemetics such as [[prochlorperazine]], [[promethazine]], and [[metoclopramide]] in controlling CINV,<ref name=Bowels2012>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bowles DW, O'Bryant CL, Camidge DR, Jimeno A | title = The intersection between cannabis and cancer in the United States | journal = Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology | volume = 83 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–10 | date = July 2012 | pmid = 22019199 | doi = 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2011.09.008 | type = Review }}</ref> but these are used less frequently because of side effects including dizziness, dysphoria, and hallucinations.<ref name=Wang2008>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wang T, Collet JP, Shapiro S, Ware MA | title = Adverse effects of medical cannabinoids: a systematic review | journal = CMAJ | volume = 178 | issue = 13 | pages = 1669–78 | date = June 2008 | pmid = 18559804 | pmc = 2413308 | doi = 10.1503/cmaj.071178 | type = Review }}</ref><ref name=Jordan2007>{{cite journal | vauthors = Jordan K, Sippel C, Schmoll HJ | title = Guidelines for antiemetic treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: past, present, and future recommendations | journal = The Oncologist | volume = 12 | issue = 9 | pages = 1143–50 | date = September 2007 | pmid = 17914084 | doi = 10.1634/theoncologist.12-9-1143 | s2cid = 17612434 | type = Review | url = http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d98c/026bda42b4b6ea1b0286d1893b362b46cca4.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190307023741/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d98c/026bda42b4b6ea1b0286d1893b362b46cca4.pdf | archive-date = 2019-03-07 }}</ref> Long-term cannabis use may cause nausea and vomiting, a condition known as [[cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome]] (CHS).<ref name=Nicolson2012>{{cite journal | vauthors = Nicolson SE, Denysenko L, Mulcare JL, Vito JP, Chabon B | title = Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: a case series and review of previous reports | journal = Psychosomatics | volume = 53 | issue = 3 | pages = 212–19 | date = May–Jun 2012 | pmid = 22480624 | doi = 10.1016/j.psym.2012.01.003 | type = Review, case series }}</ref>


A 2016 [[Cochrane Collaboration|Cochrane review]] said that cannabinoids were "probably effective" in treating chemotherapy-induced nausea in children, but with a high side-effect profile (mainly drowsiness, dizziness, altered moods, and increased appetite). Less common side effects were "ocular problems, orthostatic hypotension, muscle twitching, pruritus, vagueness, hallucinations, lightheadedness and dry mouth".<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Phillips RS, Friend AJ, Gibson F, Houghton E, Gopaul S, Craig JV, Pizer B | title = Antiemetic medication for prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in childhood | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2016 | pages = CD007786 | date = February 2016 | issue = 2 | pmid = 26836199 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD007786.pub3 | pmc = 7073407 | url = http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/95658/1/Phillips_et_al_2016_The_Cochrane_library.sup_2.pdf | access-date = 23 September 2019 | archive-date = 30 June 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210630071713/https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/95658/1/Phillips_et_al_2016_The_Cochrane_library.sup_2.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref>
====Breast cancer====


=== HIV/AIDS ===
According to a 2007 study by scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, a compound found in cannabis may stop [[breast cancer]] from spreading throughout the body.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312132,00.html |title=Marijuana Compound May Stop Breast Cancer From Spreading, Study Says - Health News &#124; Current Health News &#124; Medical News |publisher=FOXNews.com |date=2007-11-19 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=cc |url=http://www.cpmc.org/professionals/research/programs/science/sean.html |title=Sean D. McAllister, PhD-Research in treament of aggressive breast cancers |publisher=Cpmc.org |date=2007-11-01 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> The scientists believe their discovery may provide a non-toxic alternative to [[chemotherapy]] while achieving the same results minus the painful and unpleasant [[side effects]]. The research team say that [[cannabidiol]] or CBD works by blocking the activity of a gene called Id-1, which is believed to be responsible for a process called [[metastasis]], which is the aggressive spread of cancer cells away from the original tumor site.<ref>{{cite web|author=&nbsp; |url=http://www.news-medical.net/?id=32724 |title=Cannabis compound may stop breast cancer spreading |publisher=News-medical.net |date=2007-11-20 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Evidence is lacking for both efficacy and safety of cannabis and cannabinoids in treating patients with [[HIV/AIDS]] or for [[Anorexia nervosa|anorexia]] associated with AIDS. As of 2013, current studies suffer from the effects of bias, small sample size, and lack of long-term data.<ref name=Lutge2013>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lutge EE, Gray A, Siegfried N | title = The medical use of cannabis for reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV/AIDS | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 4 | issue = 4 | pages = CD005175 | date = April 2013 | pmid = 23633327 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD005175.pub3 | type = Review }}</ref>


====HIV/AIDS====
=== Pain ===
A 2021 review found little effect of using non-inhaled cannabis to relieve chronic pain.<ref name=wang2021/> According to a 2019 systematic review, there have been inconsistent results of using cannabis for neuropathic pain, spasms associated with [[multiple sclerosis]] and pain from [[rheumatic]] disorders, but was not effective treating chronic cancer pain. The authors state that additional [[randomized controlled trials]] of different cannabis products are necessary to make conclusive recommendations.<ref name=pratt/>
Investigators at [[Columbia University]] published clinical trial data in 2007 showing that [[HIV/AIDS]] patients who inhaled cannabis four times daily experienced substantial increases in food intake with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance. They concluded that smoked marijuana has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive patients.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7485#10 |title=Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) |publisher=NORML |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/139/4/258 |title=Short-Term Effects of Cannabinoids in Patients with HIV-1 Infection: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial - Abrams et al. 139 (4): 258 - Annals of Internal Medicine |publisher=Annals.org |date=2003-08-19 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
In another study in 2008, researchers at the [[University of California, San Diego School of Medicine]] found that marijuana significantly reduces HIV-related [[neuropathic pain]] when added to a patient's already-prescribed pain management regimen and may be an "effective option for pain relief" in those whose pain is not controlled with current medications. Mood disturbance, physical disability, and quality of life all improved significantly during study treatment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/news/20080805/marijuana-eases-nerve-pain-due-to-hiv |title=Marijuana Eases Nerve Pain Due to HIV |publisher=Webmd.com |date=2008-08-06 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pain-topics.org/news_research_updates/issue16.php#Pot |title=News Research Updates July-August 2008 |publisher=Pain-topics.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> No serious adverse effects were reported, according to the study published by the [[American Academy of Neurology]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/7/515 |title=Cannabis in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: A randomized placebo-controlled trial - Abrams et al. 68 (7): 515 |doi=10.1212/01.wnl.0000253187.66183.9c |publisher=Neurology |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


When cannabis is inhaled to relieve pain, blood levels of cannabinoids rise faster than when oral products are used, peaking within three minutes and attaining an analgesic effect in seven minutes.<ref name="aviram">{{cite journal | vauthors = Aviram J, Samuelly-Leichtag G | title = Efficacy of Cannabis-Based Medicines for Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials | journal = Pain Physician | volume = 20 | issue = 6 | pages = E755–96 | date = September 2017 | doi = 10.36076/ppj.20.5.E755 | pmid = 28934780 | url = http://www.painphysicianjournal.com/current/pdf?article=NDYwNA%3D%3D&journal=107 | doi-access = free | access-date = 12 January 2018 | archive-date = 30 June 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210630092212/https://www.painphysicianjournal.com/current/pdf?article=NDYwNA%3D%3D&journal=107 | url-status = live }}</ref>
====Brain cancer====


A 2011 review considered cannabis to be generally safe,<ref name=Lyn2011>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lynch ME, Campbell F | title = Cannabinoids for treatment of chronic non-cancer pain; a systematic review of randomized trials | journal = British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology | volume = 72 | issue = 5 | pages = 735–44 | date = November 2011 | pmid = 21426373 | pmc = 3243008 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.03970.x | type = Review }}</ref> and it appears safer than [[opioid]]s in palliative care.<ref name=Carter2011>{{cite journal | vauthors = Carter GT, Flanagan AM, Earleywine M, Abrams DI, Aggarwal SK, Grinspoon L | title = Cannabis in palliative medicine: improving care and reducing opioid-related morbidity | journal = The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care | volume = 28 | issue = 5 | pages = 297–303 | date = August 2011 | pmid = 21444324 | doi = 10.1177/1049909111402318 | s2cid = 19980960 | type = Review }}</ref>
A study by [[Complutense University of Madrid]] found the active chemical in marijuana promotes the death of [[brain cancer]] cells by essentially helping them feed upon themselves in a process called [[autophagy]]. The research team discovered that cannabinoids such as THC had anticancer effects in mice with human brain cancer cells and in people with brain tumors. When mice with the human brain cancer cells received the THC, the tumor shrank. Using [[electron microscopes]] to analyze brain tissue taken both before and after a 26- to 30-day THC treatment regimen, the researchers found that THC eliminated cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/04/01/hscout625697.html |title=Active Ingredient in Marijuana Kills Brain Cancer Cells |publisher=Forbes.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> The patients did not have any toxic effects from the treatment; previous studies of THC for the treatment of cancer have also found the therapy to be well tolerated. However, the mechanisms which promote THC's tumor cell–killing action are unknown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/02/health/webmd/main4913095.shtml?source=RSSattr=Health_4913095 |title=Marijuana Chemical May Fight Brain Cancer |publisher=CBS News |date=2009-04-04 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


A 2022 review concluded the pain relief experienced after using medical cannabis is due to the [[placebo effect]], especially given widespread media attention that sets the expectation for pain relief.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=JAMA Network Open |date=November 28, 2022 |title=Placebo Response and Media Attention in Randomized Clinical Trials Assessing Cannabis-Based Therapies for PainA Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |author1=Filip Gedin |author2=Sebastian Blomé |author3=Moa Pontén |author4=Maria Lalouni |author5=Jens Fust |author6=Andreé Raquette |author7=Viktor Vadenmark Lundquist |author8=William H. Thompson |author9=Karin Jensen |volume=5 |issue=11 |pages=e2243848 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.43848 |pmid=36441553 |pmc=9706362 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
The researchers believe their findings may have therapeutic implications in the treatment of cancer, as detailed in their study, ''Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jci.org/articles/view/37948 |title=Journal of Clinical Investigation - Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells |doi=10.1172/JCI37948DS1 |publisher=Jci.org |date=2009-04-01 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> which appeared in the April 2009 issue of the [[Journal of Clinical Investigation]].


====Head Injuries====
===Neurological conditions===
Cannabis' efficacy is not clear in treating neurological problems, including [[multiple sclerosis]] (MS) and movement problems.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Evidence also suggests that oral cannabis extract is effective for reducing patient-centered measures of spasticity.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> A trial of cannabis is deemed to be a reasonable option if other treatments have not been effective.<ref name=Borgelt2013 />{{By whom|date=April 2017}} Its use for MS is approved in ten countries.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /><ref name=Clark2011>{{cite journal | vauthors = Clark PA, Capuzzi K, Fick C | title = Medical marijuana: medical necessity versus political agenda | journal = Medical Science Monitor | volume = 17 | issue = 12 | pages = RA249–61 | date = December 2011 | pmid = 22129912 | pmc = 3628147 | doi = 10.12659/MSM.882116 | type = Review }}</ref>{{COI source|date=December 2013}} A 2012 review found no problems with tolerance, abuse, or addiction.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Oreja-Guevara C | title = [Treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis: new perspectives regarding the use of cannabinoids] | language = es | journal = Revista de Neurología | volume = 55 | issue = 7 | pages = 421–30 | date = October 2012 | pmid = 23011861 | type = Review }}</ref> In the United States, [[cannabidiol]], one of the cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant, has been approved for treating two severe forms of epilepsy, [[Lennox-Gastaut syndrome]] and [[Dravet syndrome]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Commissioner|first=Office of the|date=2019-06-10|title=FDA and Marijuana|url=https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-marijuana|journal=FDA|language=en|access-date=16 December 2019|archive-date=16 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116160049/https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-marijuana|url-status=live}}</ref>
Medical Marijuana has been shown to display neuroprotective properties with the 2-Arachidonoyl glycerol compound. This compound has been shown in lab experiments with mice to lower the amount of secondary damages from head injuries and speed up recovery time and effectiveness.<ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11586361</ref>


=== Mental health ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
{{Further|Cannabis use and trauma|Posttraumatic stress disorder#Cannabinoids}}
|-
! Indication !! Benefit
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Alzheimer's]]</center> || <center>Prevents formation of "Alzheimer plaques"</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Arthritis]]</center> || <center>[[Analgesic]], [[antiinflammatory]]</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Asthma]]</center> || <center>Opens up airways in lungs</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Brain Cancer]]</center> || <center>Reduces tumors, kills cancer cells</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Breast Cancer]]</center> || <center>Stops cancer from spreading</center>
|-
| <center>[[Major depressive disorder|Depression]]</center><center></center> || <center>Brightens [[mood]]</center>
|-
| <center>[[Glaucoma]]</center><center></center> || <center>Reduces eye pressure</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Head Injuries]]</center> || <center>Neuroprotective properties, speeds recovery time</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[HIV]]</center> || <center>Reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and sleep</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Hypertension]]</center> || <center>Lowers blood pressure</center>
|-
| <center></center><center>[[Lung Cancer]]</center> || <center>Reduces tumors, slows cancer growth</center>
|-
| <center>[[Pain]]</center><center></center> || <center>Non-opiate, non-addictive pain killer</center>
|}


A 2019 systematic review found that there is a lack of evidence that cannabinoids are effective in treating [[depressive disorder|depressive]] or [[anxiety disorder]]s, [[attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder]] (ADHD), [[Tourette syndrome]], [[post-traumatic stress disorder]], or [[psychosis]].<ref name=black>{{cite journal |vauthors=Black N, Stockings E, Campbell G, Tran LT, Zagic D, Hall WD, Farrell M, Degenhardt L |title=Cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and symptoms of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Lancet Psychiatry |volume=6 |issue=12 |pages=995–1010 |date=2019 |pmid=31672337 |doi=10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30401-8 |pmc=6949116 |type=Systematic review & meta-analysis}}</ref>
==Medicinal compounds==
[[Image:Cannabidiol.png|thumb|right|[[Cannabidiol]] has many positive effects.]]
[[Image:Beta-Caryophyllen.svg|thumb|right|upright|β-Caryophyllene has important anti-inflammatory properties.]]
===Cannabidiol===
{{main|cannabidiol}}
[[Cannabidiol]], also known as "CBD", is a major constituent of medical cannabis. CBD represents up to 40% of [[extract]]s of the medical cannabis plant.<ref name="Grlie_1976">{{cite journal
| last =Grlie
| first = L
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =A comparative study on some chemical and biological characteristics of various samples of cannabis resin
| journal =Bulletin on Narcotics
| volume =14
| issue =
| pages =37–46
| publisher =
| year = 1976
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| accessdate = }}</ref> Cannabidiol relieves [[convulsion]], [[inflammation]], [[anxiety]], [[nausea]], and inhibits [[cancer cell]] growth.<ref>{{cite journal
|author=Mechoulam R, Peters M, Murillo-Rodriguez E, Hanus LO
|title=Cannabidiol - recent advances
|journal=Chemistry & Biodiversity
|volume=4
|issue=8
|pages=1678–1692
|year=2007
|month=August
|pmid=17712814
|doi=10.1002/cbdv.200790147}}</ref> Recent studies have shown cannabidiol to be as effective as [[atypical antipsychotics]] in treating [[schizophrenia]].<ref>{{cite journal
| last = Zuardi
| first = A.W
| coauthors = J.A.S. Crippa, J.E.C. Hallak, F.A. Moreira, F.S. Guimarães
| title = Cannabidiol as an antipsychotic drug
| journal = Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
| year = 2006
| volume = 39
| pages = 421–429
| url = http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjmbr/v39n4/6164.pdf
|format=PDF| issn = ISSN 0100-879X }}</ref>
In November 2007 it was reported that CBD reduces growth of aggressive human [[breast cancer]] cells ''[[in vitro]]'' and reduces their invasiveness. It thus represents the first non-toxic exogenous agent that can lead to down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness.<ref name="pmid18025276">{{cite journal
|author=McAllister SD, Christian RT, Horowitz MP, Garcia A, Desprez PY
|title=Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells
|journal=Mol. Cancer Ther.
|volume=6
|issue=11
|pages=2921–7
|year=2007
|pmid=18025276
|doi=10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-07-0371
}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7098340.stm Article] on [[BBC]] site</ref> It is also a [[neuroprotective]] [[antioxidant]].<ref name="antioxidant 1998">[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=20965 Cannabidiol and (−)Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol are neuroprotective antioxidants], A. J. Hampson, M. Grimaldi, J. Axelrod, and D. Wink, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 July 7; 95(14): 8268–8273.</ref>


Research indicates that cannabis, particularly CBD, may have anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) effects. A study found that CBD significantly reduced anxiety during a simulated public speaking test for individuals with social anxiety disorder. However, the relationship between cannabis use and anxiety symptoms is complex, and while some users report relief, the overall evidence from observational studies and clinical trials remains inconclusive. Cannabis is often used by people to cope with anxiety, yet the efficacy and safety of cannabis for treating anxiety disorders is yet to be researched.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-10 |title=Anxiety and Cannabis: A Review of Recent Research |url=https://drexel.edu/cannabis-research/research/research-highlights/2023/April/anxiety_cannabis_fact_sheet/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Medical Cannabis Research Center |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sarris |first1=Jerome |last2=Sinclair |first2=Justin |last3=Karamacoska |first3=Diana |last4=Davidson |first4=Maggie |last5=Firth |first5=Joseph |date=2020-01-16 |title=Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review |journal=BMC Psychiatry |volume=20 |issue=1 |page=24 |doi=10.1186/s12888-019-2409-8 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-244X |pmc=6966847 |pmid=31948424}}</ref>
===β-Caryophyllene===
{{main|beta-Caryophyllene}}
Part of the mechanism by which medical cannabis has been shown to reduce tissue [[inflammation]] is via a compound called β-caryophyllene.<ref name="caryo">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080720222549.htm
|title=Why Cannabis Stems Inflammation
|publisher=www.sciencedaily.com
|accessdate=2008-08-21
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> A cannabinoid [[receptor (biology)|receptor]] called [[CB2 receptor|CB2]] plays a vital part in reducing inflammation in humans and other animals.<ref name="caryo"/> β-Caryophyllene has been shown to be a selective activator of the CB2 receptor.<ref name="caryo"/> β-Caryophyllene is especially concentrated in [[cannabis flower essential oil|cannabis essential oil]], which contains about 12&ndash;35% β-caryophyllene.<ref name="caryo"/>


Cannabis use, especially at high doses, is associated with a higher risk of psychosis, particularly in individuals with a genetic predisposition to psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. Some studies have shown that cannabis can trigger a temporary psychotic episode, which may increase the risk of developing a psychotic disorder later.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Abuse |first=National Institute on Drug |date=2023-05-08 |title=Is there a link between marijuana use and psychiatric disorders? {{!}} National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) |url=https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/there-link-between-marijuana-use-psychiatric-disorders |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=nida.nih.gov |language=en}}</ref>
==Pharmacologic THC and THC derivatives==
<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Sativex - Canadian box front.jpg|thumb|Canadian case of [[Sativex]] vials; the world's first artificial pharmaceutical prescription medicine derived from cannabis. Used as a mouth spray, it was first approved in Canada as adjunctive treatment for the symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis and other conditions.]] -->
In the USA, the FDA has approved two cannabinoids for use as medical therapies: [[dronabinol]] (Marinol) and [[nabilone]]. It is important to note that these medicines are not smoked. [[Dronabinol]] is a synthetic THC medication,<ref>[http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00457.html FDA Press Release]</ref> while [[nabilone]] is a synthetic cannabinoid marketed under the brand name [[nabilone|Cesamet]].


The impact of cannabis on depression is less clear. Some studies suggest a potential increase in depression risk among adolescents who use cannabis though findings are inconsistent across studies.<ref name=":5" />
These medications are usually used when first line treatments for nausea fail to work. In extremely high doses and in rare cases there is a possibility of "[[psychotomimetic]]" side effects. The other commonly-used antiemetic drugs are not associated with these side effects.


== Adverse effects ==
The prescription drug [[Sativex]], an extract of cannabis administered as a sublingual spray, has been approved in [[Canada]] for the adjunctive treatment (use along side other medicines) of both [[multiple sclerosis]]<ref name="SativexC">Koch, W. 23 Jun 2005. [http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-06-23-pot-spray_x.htm Spray alternative to pot on the market in Canada]. ''USA Today'' (online). Retrieved on 27 February 2007</ref> and [[cancer]] related pain.<ref>
[[File:American medical hashish(10).jpg|thumb|right|American medical hashish]]
{{cite web
|url=http://www.drugdevelopment-technology.com/projects/sativex/
|title=Sativex - Investigational Cannabis-Based Treatment for Pain and Multiple Sclerosis Drug Development Technology
|publisher=www.drugdevelopment-technology.com
|accessdate=2008-08-08
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> This medication may now be legally imported into the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Spain]] on prescription.<ref name="SativexEu">{{cite web|url=http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/411/sativex.shtml|title=Europe: Sativex Coming to England, Spain|accessdate=2006-03-25}}</ref> Dr. William Notcutt is one of the chief researchers that has developed Sativex, and he has been working with GW and founder Geoffrey Guy since the company's inception in 1998. Notcutt states that the use of MS as the disease to study "had everything to do with politics."<ref name="Respectable Reefer">{{cite news|last=Greenberg|first=Gary|title=Respectable Reefer|publisher=Mother Jones|date=2005-11-01|url=http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/11/Respectable_Reefer-3.html|accessdate=2007-04-03}}</ref>
Scientists are also working on drugs that prevent naturally occurring enzymes from blocking pain-relieving cannabinoid receptors such as 2-arachidonoylgylcerol (2-AG).<ref>Cosmos Online - Cannabis-like drug dims pain without high <http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2366/cannabis-drug-dims-pain-without-high></ref>


=== Medical use ===
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
There is insufficient data to draw strong conclusions about the safety of medical cannabis.<ref name=oxpain>{{cite book |first1 = Tabitha A. |last1 = Washington |first2 = Khalilah M. |last2 = Brown |first3 = Gilbert J. |last3 = Fanciullo |title = Pain |chapter = Chapter 31: Medical Cannabis |page = 165 |year = 2012 |publisher = Oxford University Press |isbn = 978-0-19-994274-9 |quote = Proponents of medical cannabis site its safety, but there studies in later years that support that smoking of marijuana is associated with risk for dependence and that THC alters the structures of cells in the brain }}</ref> Typically, adverse effects of medical cannabis use are not serious;<ref name=Borgelt2013>{{cite journal | vauthors = Borgelt LM, Franson KL, Nussbaum AM, Wang GS | title = The pharmacologic and clinical effects of medical cannabis | journal = Pharmacotherapy | volume = 33 | issue = 2 | pages = 195–209 | date = February 2013 | pmid = 23386598 | doi = 10.1002/phar.1187 | s2cid = 8503107 | url = https://wsma.org/doc_library/LegalResourceCenter/MedicalCannabis/Med%20Mar%20-%20Pharmacologic%20and%20Clinical%20Effects.pdf | access-date = 11 November 2017 | archive-date = 28 August 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210828161528/https://wsma.org/doc_library/LegalResourceCenter/MedicalCannabis/Med%20Mar%20-%20Pharmacologic%20and%20Clinical%20Effects.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> they include tiredness, dizziness, increased appetite, and cardiovascular and psychoactive effects. Other effects can include impaired short-term memory; impaired motor coordination; altered judgment; and paranoia or psychosis at high doses.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Gage SH, Hickman M, Zammit S | title = Association Between Cannabis and Psychosis: Epidemiologic Evidence | journal = Biological Psychiatry | volume = 79 | issue = 7 | pages = 549–56 | date = April 2016 | pmid = 26386480 | doi = 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.001 | hdl = 1983/b8fb2d3b-5a55-4d07-97c0-1650b0ffc05d | s2cid = 1055335 | url = https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/association-between-cannabis-and-psychosis(b8fb2d3b-5a55-4d07-97c0-1650b0ffc05d).html | hdl-access = free | access-date = 11 March 2020 | archive-date = 26 February 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200226185900/https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/association-between-cannabis-and-psychosis(b8fb2d3b-5a55-4d07-97c0-1650b0ffc05d).html | url-status = live }}</ref> Tolerance to these effects develops over a period of days or weeks. The amount of cannabis normally used for medicinal purposes is not believed to cause any permanent cognitive impairment in adults, though long-term treatment in adolescents should be weighed carefully as they are more susceptible to these impairments. Withdrawal symptoms are rarely a problem with controlled medical administration of cannabinoids. The ability to drive vehicles or to operate machinery may be impaired until a tolerance is developed.<ref name=Grotenhermen2012>{{cite journal | vauthors = Grotenhermen F, Müller-Vahl K | title = The therapeutic potential of cannabis and cannabinoids | journal = Deutsches Ärzteblatt International | volume = 109 | issue = 29–30 | pages = 495–501 | date = July 2012 | pmid = 23008748 | pmc = 3442177 | doi = 10.3238/arztebl.2012.0495 }}</ref> Although supporters of medical cannabis say that it is safe,<ref name=oxpain /> further research is required to assess the long-term safety of its use.<ref name=Wang2008 /><ref name=barceloux866931>{{cite book |first = Donald G |last = Barceloux |title = Medical Toxicology of Drug Abuse: Synthesized Chemicals and Psychoactive Plants |chapter = Chapter 60: Marijuana (''Cannabis sativa'' L.) and synthetic cannabinoids |isbn = 978-0-471-72760-6 |year = 2012 |pages = 886–931 |publisher = John Wiley & Sons |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=OWFiVaDZnkQC&pg=PA886 |access-date = 20 December 2015 |archive-date = 13 January 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230113004526/https://books.google.com/books?id=OWFiVaDZnkQC&pg=PA886 |url-status = live }}</ref>
|-

! Medication
=== Cognitive effects ===
! Year approved
{{further|long-term effects of cannabis}}
! Licensed indications
Recreational use of cannabis is associated with cognitive deficits, especially for those who begin to use cannabis in adolescence. {{as of|2021}} there is a lack of research into long-term cognitive effects of medical use of cannabis, but one 12-month observational study reported that "MC patients demonstrated significant improvements on measures of [[executive function]] and clinical state over the course of 12 months".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sagar |first1=Kelly A. |last2=Dahlgren |first2=M. Kathryn |last3=Lambros |first3=Ashley M. |last4=Smith |first4=Rosemary T. |last5=El-Abboud |first5=Celine |last6=Gruber |first6=Staci A. |title=An Observational, Longitudinal Study of Cognition in Medical Cannabis Patients over the Course of 12 Months of Treatment: Preliminary Results |journal=Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society |date=2021 |volume=27 |issue=6 |pages=648–60 |doi=10.1017/S1355617721000114 |pmid=34261553 |s2cid=235824932 |language=en |issn=1355-6177|doi-access=free }}</ref>
! Cost

|-
=== Impact on psychosis ===
| [[Nabilone]]
Exposure to THC can cause acute transient psychotic symptoms in healthy individuals and people with schizophrenia.<ref name="Schubart et al.2014" />
| 1985

| Nausea of cancer chemotherapy that has failed to respond adequately to other antiemetics
A 2007 meta analysis concluded that cannabis use reduced the average age of onset of psychosis by 2.7 years relative to non-cannabis use.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Large M, Sharma S, Compton MT, Slade T, Nielssen O | title = Cannabis use and earlier onset of psychosis: a systematic meta-analysis | journal = Archives of General Psychiatry | volume = 68 | issue = 6 | pages = 555–61 | date = June 2011 | pmid = 21300939 | doi = 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.5 | doi-access = free }}</ref> A 2005 meta analysis concluded that adolescent use of cannabis increases the risk of psychosis, and that the risk is dose-related.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Semple DM, McIntosh AM, Lawrie SM | title = Cannabis as a risk factor for psychosis: systematic review | journal = Journal of Psychopharmacology | volume = 19 | issue = 2 | pages = 187–94 | date = March 2005 | pmid = 15871146 | doi = 10.1177/0269881105049040 | s2cid = 44651274 }}</ref> A 2004 literature review on the subject concluded that cannabis use is associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of psychosis, but that cannabis use is "neither necessary nor sufficient" to cause psychosis.<ref name=Arseneault2004>{{cite journal | vauthors = Arseneault L, Cannon M, Witton J, Murray RM | title = Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence | journal = The British Journal of Psychiatry | volume = 184 | issue = 2 | pages = 110–17 | date = February 2004 | pmid = 14754822 | doi = 10.1192/bjp.184.2.110 | doi-access = free }}</ref> A French review from 2009 came to a conclusion that cannabis use, particularly that before age 15, was a factor in the development of schizophrenic disorders.<ref name="Laqueille">{{cite journal | vauthors = Laqueille X | title = [Is cannabis a vulnerability factor in schizophrenic disorders] | journal = Archives de Pédiatrie | volume = 16 | issue = 9 | pages = 1302–05 | date = September 2009 | pmid = 19640690 | doi = 10.1016/j.arcped.2009.03.016 | trans-title = Is cannabis is a vulnerability factor of schizophrenic disorders? }}</ref>
|$4000.00 U.S. for a year's supply (in Canada)<ref>

{{cite web
== Pharmacology ==
|url=http://www.news-medical.net/?id=35301
The [[genus]] ''[[Cannabis]]'' contains two species which produce useful amounts of psychoactive cannabinoids: ''[[Cannabis indica]]'' and ''[[Cannabis sativa]]'', which are listed as Schedule I medicinal plants in the US;<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> a third species, ''[[Cannabis ruderalis]]'', has few psychogenic properties.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> Cannabis contains more than 460 compounds;<ref name=BenAmar2006 /> at least 80 of these are [[cannabinoid]]s<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Downer EJ, Campbell VA | title = Phytocannabinoids, CNS cells and development: a dead issue? | journal = Drug and Alcohol Review | volume = 29 | issue = 1 | pages = 91–98 | date = January 2010 | pmid = 20078688 | doi = 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2009.00102.x | type = Review }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Burns TL, Ineck JR | title = Cannabinoid analgesia as a potential new therapeutic option in the treatment of chronic pain | journal = The Annals of Pharmacotherapy | volume = 40 | issue = 2 | pages = 251–60 | date = February 2006 | pmid = 16449552 | doi = 10.1345/aph.1G217 | s2cid = 6858360 | type = Review }}</ref> – [[chemical compound]]s that interact with [[cannabinoid receptor]]s in the brain.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> As of 2012, more than 20 cannabinoids were being studied by the U.S. FDA.<ref name=Svrakic2012>{{cite journal | vauthors = Svrakic DM, Lustman PJ, Mallya A, Lynn TA, Finney R, Svrakic NM | title = Legalization, decriminalization & medicinal use of cannabis: a scientific and public health perspective | journal = Missouri Medicine | volume = 109 | issue = 2 | pages = 90–98 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22675784 | pmc = 6181739 | type = Review }}</ref>
|title=Nabilone marijuana-based drug reduces fibromyalgia pain

|publisher=www.news-medical.net
The most psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant is [[tetrahydrocannabinol]] (or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC).<ref name=BenAmar2006 /> Other cannabinoids include [[delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol]], [[cannabidiol]] (CBD), [[cannabinol]] (CBN), [[cannabicyclol]] (CBL), [[cannabichromene]] (CBC) and [[cannabigerol]] (CBG); they have less psychotropic effects than THC, but may play a role in the overall effect of cannabis.<ref name=BenAmar2006 /> The most studied are THC, CBD and CBN.<ref name=Gordon2013>{{cite journal | vauthors = Gordon AJ, Conley JW, Gordon JM | title = Medical consequences of marijuana use: a review of current literature | journal = Current Psychiatry Reports | volume = 15 | issue = 12 | page = 419 | date = December 2013 | pmid = 24234874 | doi = 10.1007/s11920-013-0419-7 | s2cid = 29063282 | type = Review | url = https://zenodo.org/record/1232874 | access-date = 12 July 2019 | archive-date = 7 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190807172632/https://zenodo.org/record/1232874 | url-status = live }}</ref>
|accessdate=2008-05-31

|last=
CB1 and CB2 are the primary cannabinoid receptors responsible for several of the effects of cannabinoids, although other receptors may play a role as well. Both belong to a group of receptors called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). CB1 receptors are found in very high levels in the brain and are thought to be responsible for psychoactive effects.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Mackie K | title = Cannabinoid receptors: where they are and what they do | journal = Journal of Neuroendocrinology | volume = 20 | pages = 10–14 | date = May 2008 | issue = Suppl 1 | pmid = 18426493 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01671.x | s2cid = 20161611 | doi-access = free }}</ref> CB2 receptors are found peripherally throughout the body and are thought to modulate pain and inflammation.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Whiteside GT, Lee GP, Valenzano KJ | title = The role of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor in pain transmission and therapeutic potential of small molecule CB2 receptor agonists | journal = Current Medicinal Chemistry | volume = 14 | issue = 8 | pages = 917–36 | date = 2007 | pmid = 17430144 | doi = 10.2174/092986707780363023 }}</ref>
|first=

}}
=== Absorption ===
</ref>
Cannabinoid absorption is dependent on its route of administration.
|-

| [[Marinol]]
Inhaled and vaporized THC have similar absorption profiles to smoked THC, with a [[bioavailability]] ranging from 10 to 35%. Oral administration has the lowest bioavailability of approximately 6%, variable absorption depending on the vehicle used, and the longest time to peak plasma levels (2 to 6 hours) compared to smoked or vaporized THC.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | vauthors = Gaston TE, Friedman D | title = Pharmacology of cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy | journal = Epilepsy & Behavior | volume = 70 | issue = Pt B | pages = 313–18 | date = May 2017 | pmid = 28087250 | doi = 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.11.016 | series = Cannabinoids and Epilepsy | s2cid = 3929024 }}</ref>
| 1992

| Nausea of cancer chemotherapy that has failed to respond adequately to other antiemetics, [[AIDS]] wasting
Similar to THC, CBD has poor oral bioavailability, approximately 6%. The low bioavailability is largely attributed to significant first-pass metabolism in the liver and erratic absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. However, oral administration of CBD has a faster time to peak concentrations (2 hours) than THC.<ref name=":0" />
|$723.16 U.S. for 30 doses @ 10&nbsp;mg online<ref>

{{cite web
Due to the poor bioavailability of oral preparations, alternative routes of administration have been studied, including sublingual and rectal. These alternative formulations maximize bioavailability and reduce first-pass metabolism. Sublingual administration in rabbits yielded bioavailability of 16% and time to peak concentration of 4 hours.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Mannila J, Järvinen T, Järvinen K, Tervonen J, Jarho P | title = Sublingual administration of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol/beta-cyclodextrin complex increases the bioavailability of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in rabbits | journal = Life Sciences | volume = 78 | issue = 17 | pages = 1911–14 | date = March 2006 | pmid = 16266727 | doi = 10.1016/j.lfs.2005.08.025 }}</ref> Rectal administration in monkeys doubled bioavailability to 13.5% and achieved peak blood concentrations within 1 to 8 hours after administration.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal | vauthors = Huestis MA | title = Human cannabinoid pharmacokinetics | journal = Chemistry & Biodiversity | volume = 4 | issue = 8 | pages = 1770–804 | date = August 2007 | pmid = 17712819 | pmc = 2689518 | doi = 10.1002/cbdv.200790152 }}</ref>
|url=http://www.pharmacychecker.com/Pricing.asp?DrugName=Marinol&DrugId=25680&DrugStrengthId=43149

|title=Compare Marinol Prices on PharmacyChecker.com
=== Distribution ===
|publisher=www.pharmacychecker.com
Like cannabinoid absorption, distribution is also dependent on route of administration. Smoking and inhalation of vaporized cannabis have better absorption than do other routes of administration, and therefore also have more predictable distribution.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{cite journal | vauthors = Badowski ME | title = A review of oral cannabinoids and medical marijuana for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a focus on pharmacokinetic variability and pharmacodynamics | journal = Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology | volume = 80 | issue = 3 | pages = 441–49 | date = September 2017 | pmid = 28780725 | pmc = 5573753 | doi = 10.1007/s00280-017-3387-5 }}</ref> THC is highly protein bound once absorbed, with only 3% found unbound in the plasma. It distributes rapidly to highly vascularized organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys, as well as to various glands. Low levels can be detected in the brain, testes, and unborn fetuses, all of which are protected from systemic circulation via barriers.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Nahas GG | title = The pharmacokinetics of THC in fat and brain: resulting functional responses to marihuana smoking | journal = Human Psychopharmacology | volume = 16 | issue = 3 | pages = 247–55 | date = April 2001 | pmid = 12404577 | doi = 10.1002/hup.258 | s2cid = 30513770 }}</ref> THC further distributes into fatty tissues a few days after administration due to its high lipophilicity, and is found deposited in the spleen and fat after redistribution.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bridgeman MB, Abazia DT | title = Medicinal Cannabis: History, Pharmacology, And Implications for the Acute Care Setting | journal = P & T | volume = 42 | issue = 3 | pages = 180–88 | date = March 2017 | pmid = 28250701 | pmc = 5312634 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYH5BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA91|title=Marihuana and Medicine|last1=Nahas|first1=Gabriel G.|last2=Sutin|first2=Kenneth M.|last3=Harvey|first3=David J.|last4=Agurell|first4=Stig|year=1999|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-59259-710-9|access-date=20 September 2020|archive-date=13 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113004528/https://books.google.com/books?id=AYH5BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA91|url-status=live}}</ref>
|accessdate=2008-05-31

|last=
=== Metabolism ===
|first=
Delta-9-THC is the primary molecule responsible for the effects of cannabis. Delta-9-THC is metabolized in the liver and turns into 11-OH-THC.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://sapiensoup.com/human-metabolism-thc|title=Human Metabolism of THC|date=2016-12-21|work=Sapiensoup Blog|access-date=2017-11-01|language=en-US|archive-date=26 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626101148/https://sapiensoup.com/human-metabolism-thc|url-status=live}}</ref>&nbsp;11-OH-THC is the first metabolic product in this pathway. Both Delta-9-THC and 11-OH-THC are psychoactive. The metabolism of THC into 11-OH-THC plays a part in the heightened psychoactive effects of edible cannabis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://profofpot.com/11-hydroxy-tetrahydrocannabinol-potency-edibles/|title=11-Hydroxy-THC - Increased Potency That Explains the Effect of Edibles? – Prof of Pot|website=profofpot.com|date=2 July 2016|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-01|archive-date=28 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628171055/https://profofpot.com/11-hydroxy-tetrahydrocannabinol-potency-edibles/}}</ref>
}}

</ref>
Next, 11-OH-THC is metabolized in the liver into 11-COOH-THC, which is the second metabolic product of THC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.consultox.com/toxicology-marijuana.shtml|title=Toxicology Litigation Support: Marijuana|website=consultox.com|access-date=2017-11-01|archive-date=26 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626101148/http://www.consultox.com/toxicology-marijuana.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>&nbsp;11-COOH-THC is not psychoactive.<ref name=":2" />
|-

| [[Sativex]]
Ingestion of edible cannabis products lead to a slower onset of effect than the inhalation of it because the THC travels to the liver first through the blood before it travels to the rest of the body. Inhaled cannabis can result in THC going directly to the brain, where it then travels from the brain back to the liver in recirculation for metabolism.<ref name=":2" /> Eventually, both routes of metabolism result in the metabolism of psychoactive THC to inactive 11-COOH-THC.
| 1995, 1997

| The product is approved in Canada as adjunctive treatment for the symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and more recently for pain due to cancer. Extracted from cannabis plants.
=== Excretion ===
| $9,351 Canadian per year<ref>[http://cadth-acmts.ca/media/cdr/complete/cdr_complete_Sativex_September-26-2007.pdf (cadth-acmts.ca)]</ref>
Due to substantial metabolism of THC and CBD, their metabolites are excreted mostly via [[feces]], rather than by urine.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="devinsky">{{cite journal | vauthors = Devinsky O, Cilio MR, Cross H, Fernandez-Ruiz J, French J, Hill C, Katz R, Di Marzo V, Jutras-Aswad D, Notcutt WG, Martinez-Orgado J, Robson PJ, Rohrback BG, Thiele E, Whalley B, Friedman D | title = Cannabidiol: pharmacology and potential therapeutic role in epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric disorders | journal = Epilepsia | volume = 55 | issue = 6 | pages = 791–802 | date = June 2014 | pmid = 24854329 | pmc = 4707667 | doi = 10.1111/epi.12631 }}</ref> After delta-9-THC is hydroxylated into 11-OH-THC via CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4, it undergoes phase II metabolism into more than 30 metabolites, a majority of which are products of [[glucuronidation]]. Approximately 65% of THC is excreted in feces and 25% in the urine, while the remaining 10% is excreted by other means.<ref name=":0" /> The terminal half-life of THC is 25 to 36 hours,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Grotenhermen F | title = Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids | journal = Clinical Pharmacokinetics | volume = 42 | issue = 4 | pages = 327–60 | date = 2003-04-01 | pmid = 12648025 | doi = 10.2165/00003088-200342040-00003 | s2cid = 25623600 }}</ref> whereas for CBD it is 18 to 32 hours.<ref name=devinsky/>
|}

CBD is hydroxylated by P450 liver enzymes into 7-OH-CBD. Its metabolites are products of primarily CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 activity, with potential activity of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, and CYP2D6.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Zendulka O, Dovrtělová G, Nosková K, Turjap M, Šulcová A, Hanuš L, Juřica J |date=2016-02-29|title=Cannabinoids and Cytochrome P450 Interactions|url=http://www.eurekaselect.com/137749/article|journal=Current Drug Metabolism|language=en|volume=17|issue=3|pages=206–226|doi=10.2174/1389200217666151210142051|pmid=26651971|access-date=1 November 2017|archive-date=3 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703094804/https://www.eurekaselect.com/137749/article|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar to delta-9-THC, a majority of CBD is excreted in feces and some in the urine.<ref name=":0" /> The terminal half-life is approximately 18–32 hours.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ohlsson A, Lindgren JE, Andersson S, Agurell S, Gillespie H, Hollister LE | title = Single-dose kinetics of deuterium-labelled cannabidiol in man after smoking and intravenous administration | journal = Biomedical & Environmental Mass Spectrometry | volume = 13 | issue = 2 | pages = 77–83 | date = February 1986 | pmid = 2937482 | doi = 10.1002/bms.1200130206 }}</ref>

== Administration ==
[[File:Blausen 0158 Cannabis Medicinal.png|thumb|left|Illustrating various forms of medicinal cannabis]]

[[Smoking]] has been the means of administration of cannabis for many users, but it is not suitable for the use of cannabis as a medicine.<ref name=CurtisClarke2009>{{cite journal | vauthors = Curtis A, Clarke CE, Rickards HE | title = Cannabinoids for Tourette's Syndrome | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | issue = 4 | pages = CD006565 | date = October 2009 | volume = 2009 | pmid = 19821373 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD006565.pub2 | type = Review | pmc = 7387115 }}</ref> It was the most common method of medical cannabis consumption in the US {{as of|lc=yes|2013}}.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> It is difficult to predict the pharmacological response to cannabis because concentration of cannabinoids varies widely, as there are different ways of preparing it for consumption (smoked, applied as oils, eaten, infused into other foods, or drunk) and a lack of production controls.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> The potential for adverse effects from smoke inhalation makes smoking a less viable option than oral preparations.<ref name=CurtisClarke2009 /> [[Vaporizer (cannabis)|Cannabis vaporizers]] have gained popularity because of a perception among users that fewer harmful chemicals are ingested when components are inhaled via aerosol rather than smoke.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> Cannabinoid medicines are available in pill form ([[dronabinol]] and [[nabilone]]) and liquid extracts formulated into an oromucosal spray ([[nabiximols]]).<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> Oral preparations are "problematic due to the uptake of cannabinoids into fatty tissue, from which they are released slowly, and the significant first-pass liver metabolism, which breaks down Δ9THC and contributes further to the variability of plasma concentrations".<ref name=CurtisClarke2009 />

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved smoked cannabis for any condition or disease, as it deems that evidence is lacking concerning safety and efficacy.<ref name=FDA2006 /> The FDA issued a 2006 advisory against ''smoked'' medical cannabis stating: "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision."<ref name=FDA2006>{{Cite press release |url = https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm108643.htm |title = Inter-agency advisory regarding claims that smoked marijuana is a medicine |publisher = fda.gov |date = 20 April 2006 |access-date = 24 December 2012 |archive-date = 13 October 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121013080059/http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm108643.htm |url-status = live }}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
{{Main|History of medical cannabis}}
===Ancient China & ancient Taiwan===
[[Image:Da-ma.png|thumb|right|The use of cannabis, at least as fiber, has been shown to go back at least 10,000 years in [[Taiwan]]. "Dà má" ([[Pinyin]] pronunciation) is the Chinese expression for cannabis, the first character meaning "big" and the second character meaning "hemp," a [[pictograph]] of two cannabis plants inside of a house or sheltered area.]]
[[Image:Cannabissativadior.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Cannabis sativa]]'' from ''[[Vienna Dioscurides]]'', 512 A.D.]]


=== Ancient ===
Cannabis, called dà má ([[wiktionary:大|大]][[wiktionary:麻|麻]]) in [[Chinese (language)|Chinese]], is known to have been used in [[Taiwan]] for fiber starting about 10,000 years ago.<ref>
Cannabis, called ''má'' [[wikt: 麻|麻]] (meaning "hemp; cannabis; numbness") or ''dàmá'' [[Wikt:大麻|大麻]] (with "big; great") in Chinese, was used in [[Taiwan]] for fiber starting about 10,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite book |first = Ernest L. |last = Abel |year = 1980 |chapter = Cannabis in the Ancient World |chapter-url = http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/1.htm |title = Marihuana: the first twelve thousand years |publisher = Plenum Publishers |location = New York City |isbn = 978-0-306-40496-2 |access-date = 29 October 2008 |archive-date = 28 June 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210628135448/https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/1.htm |url-status = live }}{{Page needed|date=August 2010}}</ref> The botanist [[Hui-lin Li]] wrote that in China, "The use of Cannabis in medicine was probably a very early development. Since ancient humans used hemp seed as food, it was quite natural for them to also discover the medicinal properties of the plant."<ref>Li, Hui-Lin (1974). "An Archaeological and Historical Account of Cannabis in China", ''Economic Botany'' 28.4:437–48, p. 444.</ref> Emperor [[Shen-Nung]], who was also a pharmacologist, wrote a book on treatment methods in 2737 BCE that included the medical benefits of cannabis. He recommended the substance for many ailments, including constipation, gout, rheumatism, and absent-mindedness.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite book |last = Bloomquist |first = Edward |title = Marijuana: The Second Trip |year = 1971 |publisher = Glencoe Press |location = California }}</ref> Cannabis is one of the [[50 fundamental herbs|50 "fundamental" herbs]] in [[traditional Chinese medicine]].<ref name="Wong">{{Cite book |last = Wong |first = Ming |year = 1976 |title = La Médecine chinoise par les plantes |publisher = Tchou |location = Paris |oclc = 2646789 }}{{Page needed|date=August 2010}}</ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/1.htm
|title=Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years - 1. Cannabis in the Ancient World
|publisher=www.druglibrary.org
|accessdate=2008-06-06
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for approximately 4,000 years.<ref name="bbchistory">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/1632726.stm |title=History of Cannabis |work=BBC News }}</ref> In the early 3rd century AD, [[Hua Tuo]] was the first known person in China to use cannabis as an [[Anesthesia|anesthetic]]. He reduced the plant to powder and mixed it with wine for administration.<ref>de Crespigny, Rafe. (2007). ''A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD)''. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill. ISBN 9004156054. Page 332.</ref> Cannabis was prescribed to treat [[vomiting]], plus infectious and parasitic [[hemorrhaging]]. Cannabis is one of the 50 "fundamental" herbs in [[traditional Chinese medicine]].<ref name="Wong">Wong, Ming (1976). ''La Médecine chinoise par les plantes''. Le Corps a Vivre series. Éditions Tchou.</ref>


The [[Ebers Papyrus]] ({{circa|1550 BCE}}) from [[Ancient Egypt]] describes medical cannabis.<ref name="ebers">{{unreliable source?|date=December 2013}} {{cite web |url = http://www.onlinepot.org/medical/eberspapyrus.htm |title = The Ebers Papyrus The Oldest (confirmed) Written Prescriptions For Medical Marihuana era 1,550 BC |publisher = onlinepot.org |access-date = 10 June 2008 |archive-date = 4 March 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080726/http://www.onlinepot.org/medical/eberspapyrus.htm }}</ref> The ancient Egyptians used hemp (cannabis) in [[suppositories]] for relieving the pain of [[hemorrhoid]]s.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19626341.600-the-pharaohs-pharmacists.html |title = The Pharaoh's pharmacists |last = Pain |first = Stephanie |date = 15 December 2007 |work = New Scientist |publisher = Reed Business Information Ltd. |access-date = 4 September 2017 |archive-date = 21 May 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080521162813/http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19626341.600-the-pharaohs-pharmacists.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
===Ancient Egypt===
The [[Ebers Papyrus]] (ca. 1,550 B.C.) from [[Ancient Egypt]] describes medical marijuana.<ref name="ebers">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.onlinepot.org/medical/eberspapyrus.htm
|title=The Ebers Papyrus The Oldest (confirmed) Written Prescriptions For Medical Marihuana era 1,550 BC
|publisher=www.onlinepot.org
|accessdate=2008-06-10
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> Other ancient Egyptian papyri that mention medical marijuana are the [[Ramesseum medical papyri|Ramesseum III Papyrus]] (1700 BC), the [[Berlin Papyrus]] (1300 BC) and the [[Chester Beatty Medical Papyrus]] VI (1300 BC).<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.reefermadnessmuseum.org/history/AEgyptian.htm
|title=History of Cannabis
|publisher=www.reefermadnessmuseum.org
|accessdate=2008-07-09
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> The [[ancient Egypt]]ians even used hemp (cannabis) in [[suppositories]] for relieving the pain of [[hemorrhoid]]s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19626341.600-the-pharaohs-pharmacists.html |title=The Pharaoh's pharmacists |last=Pain |first=Stephanie |date=2007-12-15 |work=New Scientist |publisher=Reed Business Information Ltd. }}</ref> The [[egyptologist]] Lise Manniche notes the reference to "plant medical marijuana" in several Egyptian texts, one of which dates back to the eighteenth century B.C.<ref>Lise Manniche, ''An Ancient Egyptian Herbal'', University of Texas Press, 1989, ISBN 978-0292704152</ref>


Surviving texts from [[History of India|ancient India]] confirm that cannabis' psychoactive properties were recognized, and doctors used it for treating a variety of illnesses and ailments, including insomnia, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, and pain, including during childbirth.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Touw M | title = The religious and medicinal uses of Cannabis in China, India and Tibet | journal = Journal of Psychoactive Drugs | volume = 13 | issue = 1 | pages = 23–34 | year = 1981 | pmid = 7024492 | doi = 10.1080/02791072.1981.10471447 }}</ref>
===Ancient India===
Surviving texts from [[ancient India]] confirm that cannabis' psychoactive properties were recognized, and doctors used it for a variety of illnesses and ailments. These included insomnia, headaches, a whole host of gastrointestinal disorders, and pain: cannabis was frequently used to relieve the pain of childbirth.<ref>{{cite web|author=Unknown |url=http://66.102.1.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:ISqaTTCsRWsJ:vajrayana.faithweb.com/Touw.pdf+marijuana,+medicinal |title=The Religious and Medicinal Uses of Cannabis in China, India and Tibet |publisher=66.102.1.104 |date=2003-10-21 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


The [[Ancient Greeks]] used cannabis to dress wounds and sores on their horses,<ref name="hawthorne">{{cite journal |doi = 10.1300/J175v02n02_04 |title = The Medical Use of Cannabis Among the Greeks and Romans |year = 2002 |last1 = Butrica |first1 = James L. |journal = Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics |volume = 2 |issue = 2 |pages = 51–70 |url = http://www.cannabis-med.org/data/pdf/2002-02-3.pdf |access-date = 8 November 2014 |archive-date = 11 November 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141111224607/http://www.cannabis-med.org/data/pdf/2002-02-3.pdf }}</ref> and in humans, dried leaves of cannabis were used to treat nose bleeds, and cannabis seeds were used to expel tapeworms.<ref name="hawthorne" />
===Ancient Greece===
The [[Ancient Greeks]] used cannabis not only for human medicine, but also for [[veterinary medicine]].<ref name="hawthorne">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?sid=0JN5HCHTFHLA9LA1NQVRUKQM7C3RB5A4&ID=4344
|title=The Haworth Press Online Catalog: Article Abstract
|publisher=www.haworthpress.com
|accessdate=2009-01-18
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> The Greeks used cannabis to dress wounds and sores on their horses.<ref name="hawthorne"/>


In the [[Islamic Golden Age|medieval Islamic world]], [[Islamic medicine|Arabic physicians]] made use of the [[diuretic]], [[antiemetic]], [[antiepileptic]], [[anti-inflammatory]], [[analgesic]] and [[antipyretic]] properties of ''[[Cannabis sativa]]'', and used it extensively as medication from the 8th to 18th centuries.<ref>{{cite journal |doi = 10.1300/J175v01n01_05 |title = The Therapeutic Use of Cannabis sativa (L.) in Arabic Medicine |year = 2001 |last1 = Lozano |first1 = Indalecio |journal = Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics |volume = 1 |pages = 63–70 |citeseerx = 10.1.1.550.1717 }}</ref>
In humans, dried leaves of cannabis were used to treat nose bleeds, and cannabis seeds were used to expel tapeworms.<ref name="hawthorne"/> The most frequently described use of cannabis in humans was to steep green seeds of cannabis in either water or wine, later taking the seeds out and using the warm extract to treat inflammation and pain resulting from obstruction of the ear.<ref name="hawthorne"/>


=== Landrace strains ===
In the 5th century BCE [[Herodotus]], a Greek historian, described how the [[Scythians]] of the Middle East used cannabis in steam baths.<ref name="hawthorne"/>
[[File:The Three Cultivars of the Cannabis Plant.png|thumb|Evolution of cultivated cannabis strains. The [[cultivar]], ''Cannabis ruderalis'', still grows wild today.]]


Cannabis seeds may have been used for food, rituals or religious practices in ancient Europe and China.<ref name = "Holland_2018">{{cite book|editor=Holland, Julie|title=The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis|date=2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-1-59477-898-8|access-date=22 April 2018|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tV0oDwAAQBAJ|archive-date=13 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113004529/https://books.google.com/books?id=tV0oDwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|19–22}} Harvesting the plant led to the spread of cannabis throughout [[Eurasia]] about 10,000 to 5,000 years ago with further distribution to the [[Middle East]] and Africa about 2,000 to 500 years ago.<ref name = "Holland_2018" />{{rp|18–19}} A [[landrace]] [[strain (biology)|strain]] of cannabis developed over centuries.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Evert|first1=Ray F.|last2=Eichhorn|first2=Susan E. |title=Raven Biology of Plants|date=2013|publisher=W. H. Freeman and Company|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4292-1961-7|pages=213–17|edition=8th}}</ref> They are cultivars of the plant that originated in one specific region.
===Medieval Islamic world===
In the [[Islamic Golden Age|medieval Islamic world]], [[Islamic medicine|Arabic physicians]] made use of the [[diuretic]], [[antiemetic]], [[antiepileptic]], [[anti-inflammatory]], [[Analgesic|pain killing]] and [[antipyretic]] properties of ''[[Cannabis sativa]]'', and used it extensively as medication from the 8th to 18th centuries.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Lozano, Indalecio |year=2001 |title=The Therapeutic Use of Cannabis sativa (L.) in Arabic Medicine |journal=Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=63–70 |doi=10.1300/J175v01n01_05}}</ref>


Widely cultivated strains of cannabis, such as "Afghani" or "Hindu Kush", are indigenous to the [[Pakistan]] and [[Afghanistan]] regions, while "Durban Poison" is native to Africa.<ref name = "Holland_2018" />{{rp|45–48}} There are approximately 16 landrace strains of cannabis identified from Pakistan, Jamaica, Africa, Mexico, Central America and Asia.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Evert|first1=Ray F.|last2=Eichhorn|first2=Susan E. |title=Raven Biology of Plants|date=2013|publisher=W.H. Freeman and Company|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4292-1961-7|pages=501–04|edition=8th}}</ref>
===Modern science===
An Irish doctor, [[William Brooke O'Shaughnessy]], was held mainly responsible for showing his Western colleagues about the healing properties of marijuana. He was an herb professor at the Medical College of [[Calcutta]], and conducted a marijuana experiment in the 1830s. O'Shaughnessy created preparations and tested animal effects. He continued on to administer this marijuana to patients in order to help treat muscle spasms/stomach cramps or general pain.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Mack
| first = Allyson
| coauthors = Janet Elizabeth Joy
| title = Marijuana as Medicine?: The Science Beyond the Controversy
| publisher = National Academy Press
| year = 2001
| isbn =
}}</ref>


=== Modern ===
[[Image:CannabisAmericana JLHopkins B.jpg| thumb | right |An advertisement for cannabis americana distributed by a pharmacist in [[New York]] in 1917.]]
An Irish physician, [[William Brooke O'Shaughnessy]], is credited with introducing cannabis to Western medicine.<ref name=Mack>{{cite book |author1 = Alison Mack |author2 = Janet Joy |title = Marijuana As Medicine?: The Science Beyond the Controversy |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZriSkC7aQOEC&pg=PA15 |year = 2000 |publisher = National Academies Press |isbn = 978-0-309-06531-3 |pages = 15– |access-date = 20 December 2015 |archive-date = 13 January 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230113004529/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Marijuana_As_Medicine/ZriSkC7aQOEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA15&printsec=frontcover |url-status = live }}</ref> O'Shaughnessy discovered cannabis in the 1830s while living abroad in [[India]], where he conducted numerous experiments investigating the drug's medical utility (noting in particular its [[analgesic]] and [[anticonvulsant]] effects).<ref name="Booth">{{cite book |last1 = Booth |first1 = Martin |title = Cannabis: A History |year=2005 |publisher = St. Martin's Press |location = New York |isbn = 978-0-312-42494-7 }}</ref> He returned to [[England]] with a supply of cannabis in 1842, after which its use spread through Europe and the United States.<ref name="Grinspoon">{{cite book |last1 = Grinspoon |first1 = Lester |last2 = Bakalar |first2 = James |title = Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine |date = 1997 |publisher = Yale University Press |isbn = 978-0-300-07086-6 |edition = Revised and expanded }}</ref> In 1845 French physician [[Jacques-Joseph Moreau]] published a book about the use of cannabis in psychiatry.<ref>Hans Bangen:''Geschichte der medikamentösen Therapie der Schizophrenie.'' Berlin 1992, p. 22.</ref> In 1850 cannabis was entered into the [[United States Pharmacopeia]].<ref name="Booth" /> An anecdotal report of ''[[Cannabis indica]]'' as a treatment for [[tetanus]] appeared in [[Scientific American]] in 1880.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ok9AQAAIAAJ|title=Scientific American, "Successful Treatment of Tetanus"|date=1880-07-10|publisher=Munn & Company|page=25|language=en|access-date=5 June 2021|archive-date=12 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112202810/https://books.google.com/books?id=6ok9AQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>


The use of cannabis in medicine began to decline by the end of the 19th century, due to difficulty in controlling dosages and the rise in popularity of synthetic and [[opium]]-derived drugs.<ref name="Grinspoon" /> Also, the advent of the hypodermic [[syringe]] allowed these drugs to be injected for immediate effect, in contrast to cannabis which is not water-soluble and therefore cannot be injected.<ref name="Grinspoon" />
Cannabis as a medicine became common throughout much of the world by the 19th century. It was used as the primary pain reliever until the invention of [[aspirin]].<ref name="bbchistory" /> Modern medical and scientific inquiry began with doctors like [[William Brooke O'Shaughnessy|O'Shaughnessy]] and [[Jacques-Joseph Moreau de Tours|Moreau de Tours]], who used it to treat [[melancholia]] and [[migraine]]s, and as a sleeping aid, [[analgesic]] and [[anticonvulsant]].


In the United States, the medical use of cannabis further declined with the passage of the [[Marihuana Tax Act of 1937]], which imposed new regulations and fees on physicians prescribing cannabis.<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Pacula |first1 = Rosalie Piccardo |title = State Medical Marijuana Laws: Understanding the Laws and Their Limitations |journal = Journal of Public Health Policy |date = February 2002 |doi = 10.2307/3343240 |url = http://impacteen.uic.edu/generalarea_PDFs/medicalmarijuanapaper100301.pdf |volume = 23 |issue = 4 |pages = 413–39 |jstor = 3343240 |pmid = 12532682 |citeseerx = 10.1.1.202.2274 |s2cid = 13389317 |access-date = 20 March 2018 |archive-date = 2 March 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210302173927/https://impacteen.uic.edu/generalarea_PDFs/medicalmarijuanapaper100301.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> Cannabis was removed from the U.S. Pharmacopeia in 1941, and officially banned for any use with the passage of the [[Controlled Substances Act]] of 1970.<ref name="Grinspoon" />
By the time the United States banned cannabis in a federal law, the [[1937 Marijuana Tax Act]], the plant was no longer extremely popular.<ref name="druglibrary.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/11.htm |title=Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years - Reefer Racism |publisher=Druglibrary.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>{{Fact|date=May 2008}} Skepticism about marijuana arose in response to the bill. {{Fact|date=May 2008}} The situation was exacerbated by the stereotypes promoted by the media, that the drug was used primarily by Mexican and African immigrants.<ref name="druglibrary.org"/>


Cannabis began to attract renewed interest as medicine in the 1970s and 1980s, in particular due to its use by cancer and AIDS patients who reported relief from the effects of [[chemotherapy]] and [[Cachexia|wasting syndrome]].<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Joy |first1 = Janet E. |last2 = Watson |first2 = Stanley J. |last3 = Benson |first3 = John A. |title = Marijuana and Medicine – Assessing the Science Base |url = http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/sourcefiles/IOM_Report.pdf |publisher = National Academy Press |location = Washington, D.C. |date = 1999 |access-date = 28 July 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180123184348/https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/sourcefiles/IOM_Report.pdf |archive-date = 23 January 2018 }}</ref> In 1996, [[California]] became the first U.S. state to legalize medical cannabis in defiance of federal law.<ref>{{cite web |title = History of Marijuana as Medicine – 2900 BC to Present |url = http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000026 |website = ProCon.org |access-date = 27 July 2017 |archive-date = 15 July 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170715175551/http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000026 |url-status = live }}</ref> In 2001, [[Canada]] became the first country to adopt a system regulating the medical use of cannabis.<ref>{{cite news |title = Marijuana's journey to legal health treatment: the Canadian experience |url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/marijuana-s-journey-to-legal-health-treatment-the-canadian-experience-1.799488 |access-date = 27 July 2017 |work = CBC News |date = 17 August 2009 |archive-date = 14 June 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170614170017/http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/marijuana-s-journey-to-legal-health-treatment-the-canadian-experience-1.799488 |url-status = live }}</ref>
Later in the century, researchers investigating methods of detecting cannabis intoxication discovered that smoking the drug reduced [[intraocular pressure]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zauberpilz.com/golden/g31-40.htm |title=Golden Guide |work=www.zauberpilz.com }}</ref>


<gallery class="center" caption="" widths="200px" heights="150px">
In 1972 [[Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D.]] reignited the debate concerning marijuana as medicine when he published "Marijuana Medical Papers." High intraocular pressure causes blindness in [[glaucoma]] patients, so many believed that using the drug could prevent blindness in patients. Many [[Vietnam War]] veterans also believed that the drug prevented muscle spasms caused by battle-induced spinal injuries.<ref>{{cite book
File:Da-ma.png|The use of cannabis, at least as fiber, has been shown to go back at least 10,000 years in [[Taiwan]]. "Dà má" ([[Pinyin]] pronunciation) is the Chinese expression for cannabis, the first character meaning "big" and the second character meaning "hemp".
| last = Zimmerman
File:Drug bottle containing cannabis.jpg|''Cannabis indica'' fluid extract, American Druggists Syndicate, pre-1937
| first = Bill
File:CannabisAmericana JLHopkins B.jpg|An advertisement for ''cannabis americana'' distributed by a pharmacist in New York in 1917
| coauthors = Nancy Crumpacker and Rick Bayer
File:PEbers c41-bc.jpg|The [[Ebers Papyrus]] ({{circa|1550 BCE}}) from Ancient Egypt has a prescription for medical marijuana applied directly for inflammation.
| title = Is Marijuana the Right Medicine for You?: A Factual Guide to Medical Uses of Marijuana
</gallery>
| publisher = Keats Publishing
| year = 1998
| location =
| pages =
| url =
| isbn = 0879839066
}}</ref> Later medical use has focused primarily on its role in preventing the [[wasting]] syndromes and chronic loss of appetite associated with [[chemotherapy]] and [[AIDS]], along with a variety of rare muscular and skeletal disorders. Less commonly, cannabis has been used in the treatment of [[alcoholism]] and [[addiction]] to other drugs such as [[heroin]] and the prevention of [[migraine]]s. In recent years, studies have shown or researchers have speculated that the main chemical in the drug, [[Tetrahydrocannabinol|THC]], might help prevent [[atherosclerosis]].


== Society and culture ==
[[Image:Medical-cannabis-card-california.jpg|thumb|right|Medical cannabis card in [[Marin County]], California, U.S.A.]]


=== Legal status ===
Later, in the 1970s, a [[synthetic]] version of THC, the primary active ingredient in cannabis, was synthesized to make the drug [[Marinol]]. Users reported several problems with Marinol, however, that led many to abandon the pill and resume smoking the plant. Patients complained that the violent nausea associated with chemotherapy made swallowing pills difficult. The effects of smoked cannabis are felt almost immediately, and is therefore easily dosed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lycos.com/info/cannabis--effects.html |title=Cannabis: Effects |work=Lycos Retriever |publisher=Lycos, Inc. }}</ref> Marinol (Jojel), like ingested cannabis, is very psychoactive, and is harder to [[Titration|titrate]] than smoked cannabis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Synthetic THC / Marinol |url=http://www.ardpark.org/marinol_research.htm |work=The Alliance for Reform of Drug Policy in Arkansas, Inc. }}</ref> Marinol has also consistently been more expensive than herbal cannabis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=91 |title=How does the cost of marijuana compare to the cost of Marinol? |work=Medical Marijuana ProCon.org |publisher=ProCon.org }}</ref> Some studies have indicated that other chemicals in the plant may have a [[Synergy|synergistic]] effect with THC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cannabis-med.org/membersonly/mo.php?aid=&fid=&mode=a&sid= |title=Cannabis and Cannabis Extracts: Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts? |author=McPartland, John M.; Russo, Ethan B. |work=Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics |publisher=International Association for Cannabis as Medicine }}</ref>
{{See also|Legality of cannabis by country}}


[[File:Map-of-world-medical-cannabis-laws.svg|thumb|right|380px|alt=Map of world medical cannabis laws|
In addition, during the 1970s and 1980s, six U.S. states' health departments performed studies on the use of medical marijuana. These are widely considered some of the most useful and pioneering studies on the subject.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Voters in eight states showed their support for marijuana prescriptions or recommendations given by physicians between 1996 and 1999, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, going against policies of the federal government.<ref>{{cite book |title=Marijuana As Medicine |author=Mack,Alison ; Joy, Janet |publisher=National Academy Press |year=2001}}</ref>
'''Legal status of (whole-plant) medical cannabis worldwide''' (only ''[[de jure]]''; may not reflect actual access in these countries)
[[Image:Cannabis female flowers close-up.jpg|thumb|right|Cannabis female flowers closeup with [[trichomes]] (white). These plant parts contain the highest concentration of medicinal compounds.]]
----
In May 2001, "The Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program: An Examination of Benefits and Adverse Effects of Legal Clinical Cannabis" (Russo, Mathre, Byrne et al.) was completed. This three-day examination of major body functions of four of the five living US federal cannabis patients found "mild [[lungs|pulmonary]] changes" in two patients.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.medicalcannabis.com/PDF/Chronic_Cannabis.pdf |format=PDF |title=Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program: An Examination of Benefits and Adverse Effects of Legal Clinical Cannabis |author=Russo, Ethan; Mathre, Mary Lynn; Byrne, Al; Velin, Robert; Bach, Paul J.; Sanchez-Ramos, Juan; Kirlin, Kristin A |journal=Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics |volume=2 |issue=1 |year=2002 |publisher=The Haworth Press, Inc. }}</ref>
{{legend|#0ea817|Legal as authorized by a physician}}
{{legend|#0d00f2|Legal for any use (no prescription required)}}
----
<small>See also [[:File:Map-of-world-cannabis-laws.svg|countries that have decriminalized or where enforcement is limited]].</small>
]]


Countries that have legalized the medical use of cannabis include [[Argentina]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Politi |first1=Daniel |title=Argentina to Allow Medicinal Marijuana to Be Grown at Home |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/world/americas/argentina-cannabis-marijuana.html |access-date=22 January 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=12 November 2020 |archive-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123041514/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/world/americas/argentina-cannabis-marijuana.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Australia]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jolly |first1=William |title=Medicinal Marijuana Legal In Australia |url=https://www.canstar.com.au/health-insurance/victoria-legalises-medicinal-marijuana/ |access-date=16 July 2018 |work=Canstar |date=28 February 2018 |archive-date=17 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717013204/https://www.canstar.com.au/health-insurance/victoria-legalises-medicinal-marijuana/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Brazil]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ponieman |first1=Natan |title=Brazil Regulates Sale Of Medical Marijuana Products |url=https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/19/12/14924387/brazil-regulates-sale-of-medical-marijuana-products |access-date=10 December 2019 |work=Benzinga |date=3 December 2019 |archive-date=14 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045550/https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/19/12/14924387/brazil-regulates-sale-of-medical-marijuana-products |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Canada]],<ref name="Motley">{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Sean|title=10 Countries (Aside From the U.S.) Where Some Form of Medical Marijuana Is Legal|url=https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/15/10-countries-aside-from-the-us-where-some-form-of.aspx|access-date=5 November 2017|work=The Motley Fool|date=15 May 2016|archive-date=11 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111152109/https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/15/10-countries-aside-from-the-us-where-some-form-of.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Chile]],<ref name="Motley" /> [[Colombia]],<ref name="Motley" /> [[Costa Rica]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Costa Rica legalizes medicinal marijuana use, hemp growing |url=https://apnews.com/article/health-caribbean-marijuana-recreational-marijuana-costa-rica-7fc0e4e7b8881613210164f6acf6d9e8 |access-date=22 January 2023 |work=Associated Press |date=2 March 2022 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307050530/https://apnews.com/article/health-caribbean-marijuana-recreational-marijuana-costa-rica-7fc0e4e7b8881613210164f6acf6d9e8 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Croatia]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Veselica|first1=Lajla|title=Croatia legalises marijuana for medical use|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/croatia-allows-marijuana-medical-114920214.html|access-date=4 November 2017|work=Yahoo News|agency=AFP|date=15 October 2015|archive-date=14 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045549/https://www.yahoo.com/news/croatia-allows-marijuana-medical-114920214.html}}</ref> [[Cyprus]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Cyprus begins to distribute medical cannabis |url=http://in-cyprus.com/cyprus-begins-to-distribute-medical-cannabis |access-date=11 November 2017 |work=InCyprus |date=22 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609034857/http://in-cyprus.com/cyprus-begins-to-distribute-medical-cannabis |archive-date=9 June 2017}}</ref> [[Czech Republic]],<ref name="Motley" /> [[Finland]],<ref>{{cite web |title= Legal status of cannabis in Finland – An overview |url= https://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/legal-status-cannabis-finland-overview |website= Sensi Seeds |access-date= 4 November 2017 |archive-date= 14 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045550/https://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/countries/cannabis-in-finland-laws-use-history/ |url-status= live }}</ref> [[Germany]],<ref>{{cite news |last1= Senthilingam |first1= Meera |title= Germany joins the global experiment on marijuana legalization |work= CNN.com |url= http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/health/global-marijuana-cannabis-laws/index.html |access-date= 4 November 2017 |date= 6 March 2017 |archive-date= 14 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045553/https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/health/global-marijuana-cannabis-laws/index.html |url-status= live }}</ref> [[Greece]],<ref>{{cite news |last1= Revesz |first1=Rachael |title=Greece legalises marijuana for medical purposes |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greece-marijuana-legal-medical-cannabis-weed-law-passes-a7821771.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greece-marijuana-legal-medical-cannabis-weed-law-passes-a7821771.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=4 November 2017 |work= The Independent |date=3 July 2017}}</ref> [[Israel]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Yardena |title=How the Booming Israeli Weed Industry Is Changing American Pot |work=Rollingstone.com |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/how-booming-israeli-weed-industry-is-changing-american-pot-w499117 |access-date=4 November 2017 |date=24 August 2017 |archive-date=4 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104043420/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/how-booming-israeli-weed-industry-is-changing-american-pot-w499117 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Italy]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Samuels |first=Gabriel |title= Italian army aims to produce "the best-quality" medical marijuana after finding current batches deficient |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cannabis-italy-army-medical-marijuana-italian-military-produces-best-quality-weed-a7156176.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cannabis-italy-army-medical-marijuana-italian-military-produces-best-quality-weed-a7156176.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=4 November 2017 |work=The Independent |date=26 July 2016}}</ref> [[Jamaica]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bud |first1=Monterey |title=Jamaica's Kaya Farms Becomes First Medical Marijuana Dispensary To Open |url=https://www.marijuana.com/news/2018/03/jamaicas-kaya-farms-becomes-first-medical-marijuana-dispensary-to-open |access-date=16 July 2018 |work=marijuana.com |date=19 March 2018 |archive-date=14 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045550/https://weedmaps.com/news/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Lebanon]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/21/world/middleeast/21reuters-lebanon-crisis-cannabis.html |title=Lebanon Legalizes Cannabis Farming for Medicinal Use |work=The New York Times |agency=Reuters |date=21 April 2020 |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-date=23 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423112646/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/21/world/middleeast/21reuters-lebanon-crisis-cannabis.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Luxembourg]],<ref>{{cite news |last1= Pritchard |first1= Heledd |title= Cannabis for medical use legalised in Luxembourg |url= https://luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/34274-cannabis-for-medical-use-legalised-in-luxembourg |access-date= 8 July 2018 |work= Luxembourg Times |date= 29 June 2018 |archive-date= 29 June 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180629104554/https://luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/34274-cannabis-for-medical-use-legalised-in-luxembourg |url-status= live }}</ref> [[Malta]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pace |first1=Maria |title=Malta has officially legalised medical cannabis |url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/85616/malta_has_officially_legalised_medical_cannabis |access-date=24 August 2018 |work=Malta Today |date=27 March 2018 |archive-date=1 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701160703/https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/85616/malta_has_officially_legalised_medical_cannabis |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Morocco]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Morocco: Bill to legalise cannabis enters into force |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210731-morocco-bill-to-legalise-cannabis-enters-into-force/ |access-date=22 January 2023 |work=Middle East Monitor |date=31 July 2021 |archive-date=11 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811195407/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210731-morocco-bill-to-legalise-cannabis-enters-into-force/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Netherlands]],<ref name="Motley" /> [[New Zealand]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ainge Roy |first1=Eleanor |title=New Zealand passes laws to make medical marijuana widely available |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/11/new-zealand-passes-laws-to-make-medical-marijuana-widely-available |access-date=20 January 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=11 December 2018 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113005629/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/11/new-zealand-passes-laws-to-make-medical-marijuana-widely-available |url-status=live }}</ref> [[North Macedonia]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marusic |first1=Sinisa Jakov |title=Macedonia Allows Medical Marijuana in Pharmacies |url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-allows-medical-marijuana-in-pharmacies-05-31-2016 |access-date=4 November 2017 |work=Balkan Insight |date=1 June 2016 |archive-date=31 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031051345/http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-allows-medical-marijuana-in-pharmacies-05-31-2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Panama]],<ref>{{cite news |title=El gobierno de Panamá legalizó el uso medicinal y terapéutico del cannabis |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2021/10/14/el-gobierno-de-panama-legalizo-el-uso-medicinal-y-terapeutico-del-cannabis/ |access-date=22 January 2023 |work=Infobae |date=14 October 2021 |archive-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017212957/https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2021/10/14/el-gobierno-de-panama-legalizo-el-uso-medicinal-y-terapeutico-del-cannabis/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Peru]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Collyns |first1=Dan |title=Peru legalises medical marijuana in move spurred by mother's home lab |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/20/peru-marijuana-cannabis-legal-terminally-ill-children |access-date=4 Nov 2017 |work=The Guardian |date=20 October 2017 |archive-date=3 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703075436/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/20/peru-marijuana-cannabis-legal-terminally-ill-children |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Poland]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Medical use of cannabis officially legal in Poland |url=http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/333153,Medical-use-of-cannabis-officially-legal-in-Poland |access-date=4 November 2017 |work=Radio Poland |agency=PAP |date=11 February 2017 |archive-date=14 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314045554/https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbds.js }}</ref> [[Portugal]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lamers |first1=Matt |title=Portugal passes medical cannabis law, opens domestic market |url=https://mjbizdaily.com/portugal-passes-medical-cannabis-law-opens-domestic-market/ |access-date=24 August 2018 |work=Marijuana Business Daily |date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=5 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905191222/https://mjbizdaily.com/portugal-passes-medical-cannabis-law-opens-domestic-market/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Rwanda]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mwai |first1=Collins |title=10 things to know after Rwanda gives the green light for medical marijuana |url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/187172/News/10-things-to-know-after-rwanda-gives-the-green-light-for-medical-marijuana |access-date=22 January 2023 |work=The New Times |date=29 June 2021 |archive-date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123022218/https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/187172/News/10-things-to-know-after-rwanda-gives-the-green-light-for-medical-marijuana |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sri Lanka]],<ref>{{citation |title=South Asia Regional Profile |url=https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/south_Asia_Regional_Profile_Sept_2005/13_srilanka.pdf |access-date=2 February 2019 |publisher=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |date=15 September 2005 |archive-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923171657/https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/south_Asia_Regional_Profile_Sept_2005/13_srilanka.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Switzerland]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Switzerland to legalise medicinal cannabis from Monday |url=https://www.thelocal.ch/20220728/switzerland-to-legalise-medicinal-cannabis-from-monday |access-date=22 January 2023 |work=The Local |date=28 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809105423/https://www.thelocal.ch/20220728/switzerland-to-legalise-medicinal-cannabis-from-monday/ |archive-date=9 August 2022}}</ref> [[Thailand]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mosbergen |first1=Dominique |title=Thailand Approves Medical Marijuana In Regional First |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/thailand-medical-marijuana_us_5c22e6aae4b0407e907e7c18 |access-date=20 January 2019 |work=HuffPost |date=25 December 2018 |archive-date=19 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119155356/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/thailand-medical-marijuana_us_5c22e6aae4b0407e907e7c18 |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[United Kingdom]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Medicinal cannabis products to be legalised |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44968386 |access-date=28 July 2018 |work=BBC |date=26 July 2018 |archive-date=28 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728045627/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44968386 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Uruguay]].<ref name="Motley" /> Other countries have more restrictive laws that allow only the use of isolated cannabinoid drugs such as [[Sativex]] or [[Epidiolex]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sativex (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol) |url= https://www.gwpharm.com/products-pipeline/sativex-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-and-cannabidiol |website=GW Pharmaceuticals |access-date=5 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210062733/https://www.gwpharm.com/products-pipeline/sativex-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-and-cannabidiol |archive-date=10 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids |url=http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/10171/20185584_TD0618186ENN_PDF.pdf |publisher=European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction |date=December 2018 |access-date=11 December 2019 |archive-date=28 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628171058/https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/10171/20185584_TD0618186ENN_PDF.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Countries with the most relaxed policies include Canada,<ref>{{cite news |last=Sapra |first=Bani |title=Canada becomes second nation in the world to legalize marijuana |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/health/canada-legalizes-marijuana/index.html |access-date=3 July 2018 |work=CNN |date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=12 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212125138/https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/health/canada-legalizes-marijuana/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the Netherlands,<ref name="Motley" /> Thailand,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ives |first1=Mike |title=Weed Is Now Legal in Thailand. How Long Will the High Times Last? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/world/asia/thailand-weed-cannabis-law.html |access-date=22 January 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=10 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127104321/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/world/asia/thailand-weed-cannabis-law.html |archive-date=27 November 2022}}</ref> and Uruguay,<ref name="Motley" /> where cannabis can be purchased without need for a prescription. In [[Mexico]], THC content of medical cannabis is limited to one percent.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Janikian |first1= Michelle |title= Legal Pot In Mexico: Everything You Need to Know |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/legal-pot-in-mexico-everything-you-need-to-know-w503038 |access-date= 5 November 2017 |magazine= Rolling Stone |date= 14 September 2017 |archive-date= 11 November 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171111151947/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/legal-pot-in-mexico-everything-you-need-to-know-w503038 |url-status= live }}</ref> In the [[United States]], the legality of medical cannabis varies by state.<ref name="NCSL" />
On October 7, 2003 a patent entitled "Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants" (#6,630,507) was awarded to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, based on research done at the [[National Institute of Mental Health]] (NIMH), and the [[National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke]] (NINDS). This patent claims that cannabinoids are "useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as [[Alzheimer's disease]], [[Parkinson's disease]] and [[HIV dementia]]."
<ref> US Govt. Patent Office. http://www.uspto.gov/ </ref>


However, in many of these countries, access may not always be possible under the same conditions.
Historian Jacob Appel has argued that the medicinal marijuana movement bears striking similarities to the medicinal beer movement of the 1920s.<ref>Physicians Are Not Bootleggers, The Bulletin of the History of Medicine, Summer 2008.</ref> Both efforts attempted to muster medical expertise in the face of a national Prohibition and both pitted the rights of physicians against the authority of the federal government.


=== Organizational support ===
==== International law ====
{{See also|Removal of cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the Single Convention on narcotic drugs, 1961}}
An increasing number of medical organizations have endorsed allowing patients access to medical marijuana with their physicians' approval. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
* [[American Medical Association]]<ref name = MPP/> - the largest physician group in the [[U.S.]]
* The [[American College of Physicians]] - America's second largest physicians group<ref name = MPP>{{cite web | url = http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/other_issues/medmarijuana.pdf |format=PDF| title = The American College of Physicians Position Paper | publisher = The [[American College of Physicians]] | accessdate = 2008-02-20 | year = 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Leukemia & Lymphoma Society]] - America's second largest [[cancer]] charity.<ref name = MPP>{{cite web | url = http://www.mpp.org/library/medical-marijuana-endorsements-and-statements-of-support.html | title = Medical Marijuana Endorsements and Statements of Support | publisher = [[Marijuana Policy Project]] | accessdate = 2008-01-29 | year = 2007 }}</ref>
* [[American Academy of Family Physicians]]<ref name = MPP/>
* [[American Public Health Association]]<ref name = MPP/>
* [[American Psychiatric Association]]<ref name = MPP/>
* [[American Nurses Association]]<ref name = MPP/>
* [[British Medical Association]]<ref name = MPP/>
* AIDS Action<ref name = MPP/>
* American Academy of HIV Medicine<ref name = MPP/>
* Lymphoma Foundation of America<ref name = MPP/>
* [[Health Canada]]<ref name = MPP/>


Cannabis and its derivatives are subject to regulation under three [[United Nations]] [[United Nations drug control conventions|drug control treaties]]: the 1961 [[Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs]], the 1971 [[Convention on Psychotropic Substances]], and the 1988 [[United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances|Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Habibi |first1=Roojin |last2=Hoffman |first2=Steven J. |title=Legalizing Cannabis Violates the UN Drug Control Treaties, But Progressive Countries Like Canada Have Options |journal=Ottawa Law Review |date=March 2018 |volume=49 |issue=2 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323697447 |access-date=8 January 2021 |archive-date=28 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828161532/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323697447_Legalizing_Cannabis_Violates_the_UN_Drug_Control_Treaties_But_Progressive_Countries_Like_Canada_Have_Options |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Criticism regarding medical cannabis ==
{{seealso|Physiological effects of cannabis}}


Cannabis and cannabis resin are classified as a Schedule I drug under the Single Convention treaty, meaning that medical use is considered "indispensible for the relief of pain and suffering" but that it is considered to be an addictive medication with risks of abuse.<ref>{{cite web |title=Classification of controlled drugs |url=https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/topic-overviews/classification-of-controlled-drugs/html_en |website=European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108164743/https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/topic-overviews/classification-of-controlled-drugs/html_en |url-status=live }}</ref> Countries have an obligation to provide access and sufficient availability of drugs listed in Schedule I for the purposes of medical uses.<ref>{{Cite book |last=[[International Narcotics Control Board]] |url=https://syntheticdrugs.unodc.org/uploads/syntheticdrugs/res/library/access_html/2010.pdf |title=Report of the International Narcotics Control Board on the Availability of Internationally Controlled Drugs: Ensuring Adequate Access for Medical and Scientific Purposes |publisher=[[United Nations]] |year=2010 |location=Vienna}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy ([[University of Essex]]), [[United Nations Development Programme]], [[Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS]], [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]], [[World Health Organization]] |date=2012 |title=Obligations arising from human rights standards: Access to controlled substances as medicines |url=https://www.humanrights-drugpolicy.org/guidelines/obligations-arising-from-human-rights-standards/access-to-controlled-substances-as-medicines/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy}}</ref>
A major criticism of cannabis as medicine is opposition to smoking as a method of consumption.


Prior to December 2020 cannabis and cannabis resin were also included in Schedule IV, a more restrictive level of control, which is for only the most dangerous drugs such as heroin and fentanyl.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaur |first1=Harmeet |title=The UN removes cannabis from a list of the most dangerous substances |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/02/health/un-reclassifies-cannabis-scn-trnd/index.html |access-date=7 January 2021 |work=CNN |date=2 December 2020 |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212164024/https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/02/health/un-reclassifies-cannabis-scn-trnd/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> They were removed after an independent scientific assessment by the [[World Health Organization]] in 2018-1029.
On 20 April 2006, the United States [[Food and Drug Administration (United States)|Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) issued an advisory against ''smoked'' medical marijuana stating that, "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. Furthermore, there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01362.html |title=Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine |publisher=Fda.gov |date=2006-04-20 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
Some prominent American societies have been reluctant to endorse medicinal cannabis.
For example:<ref>[http://www.ama-assn.org/apps/pf_new/pf_online?f_n=browse&doc=policyfiles/HnE/H-95.952.HTM ]{{dead link|date=April 2009}}</ref> , the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,<ref>http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sourcebook-Marijuana.asp</ref>
the American Academy of Ophthalmology<ref>[http://www.aao.org/education/library/cta/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=1216 ]{{dead link|date=April 2009}}</ref> and the American Cancer Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Smoking_Marijuana_May_Increase_Cancer_Risk.asp |title=ACS :: Smoking Marijuana May Increase Cancer Risk |publisher=Cancer.org |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> (Federal Register, 1992).


Member nations of the [[United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs|UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs]] voted 27–25 to remove it from Schedule IV on 2 December 2020,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kwai |first1=Isabella |title=U.N. Reclassifies Cannabis as a Less Dangerous Drug |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/world/europe/cannabis-united-nations-drug-policy.html |access-date=7 January 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=2 December 2020 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110040927/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/world/europe/cannabis-united-nations-drug-policy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> following a [[World Health Organization]] recommendation for removal in January 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=WHO recommends rescheduling of cannabis |url=https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/news/2019/who-recommends-rescheduling-of-cannabis_en |access-date=7 January 2021 |work=European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction |date=25 March 2019 |archive-date=28 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228094221/https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/news/2019/who-recommends-rescheduling-of-cannabis_en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Georgiou |first1=Aristos |title=WHO Recommends Rescheduling Cannabis in International Law for First Time in History |url=https://www.newsweek.com/who-recommends-rescheduling-cannabis-international-law-first-time-history-1324613 |access-date=7 January 2021 |work=Newsweek |date=8 February 2019 |archive-date=20 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201220172821/https://www.newsweek.com/who-recommends-rescheduling-cannabis-international-law-first-time-history-1324613 |url-status=live }}</ref>
The [[Institute of Medicine]], run by the [[United States National Academy of Sciences]], conducted a comprehensive study in 1999 to assess the potential health benefits of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids. The study concluded that smoking cannabis is not recommended for the treatment of any disease condition, but did conclude that nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety can all be mitigated by marijuana. While the study expressed reservations about smoked marijuana due to the health risks associated with smoking, the study team concluded that until another mode of ingestion was perfected that could provide the same relief as smoked marijuana, there was no alternative. Modern vaporizers and the ingestion of cannabis in a decarboxylated state have laid most of these concerns to rest, however. In addition, the study pointed out the inherent difficulty in marketing a non patentable herb. Pharmaceutical companies will not substantially profit unless there is a patent. For those reasons, the Institute of Medicine concluded that there is little future in smoked cannabis as a medically approved medication. The report also concluded for certain patients, such as the terminally ill or those with debilitating symptoms, the long-term risks are not of great concern.
Medical Marijuana Passes House Civil Justice Committee Without Dissent by David Guard (MARCH 11, 2009)
<ref>[http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=6376 "Cannabis and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base", Institute of Medicine, 1999.]</ref>


==== United States ====
In an unpublished 2001 study by the Mayo Clinic, [[Marinol]] was shown to be less effective than the [[steroid]] [[megestrol acetate]] in helping cancer patients regain lost appetites.<ref>Cannabis Appetite Boost Lacking in Cancer Study" The New York Times, May 13, 2001. </ref> The mechanism by which megestrol acetate works is unknown and the compound can cause "[[impotence]], gas, rash, high blood pressure, fever, decreased [[libido]], [[insomnia]], upset stomach, and [[high blood sugar]]. . .," as well as "breakthrough bleeding" in women.
{{See also|Medical cannabis in the United States}}


In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 38 states, four out of five permanently inhabited [[Territories of the United States|U.S. territories]], and the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]].<ref name="NCSL">{{cite web |title = State Medical Marijuana Laws |url = http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx |website = National Conference of State Legislatures |date = 12 September 2022 |access-date = 6 October 2022 |archive-date = 11 December 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181211125951/http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx |url-status = live }}</ref> An additional 10 states have more restrictive laws allowing the use of low-THC products.<ref name="NCSL" /> Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level under the [[Controlled Substances Act]], which classifies it as a Schedule I drug with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. In December 2014, however, the [[Rohrabacher–Farr amendment]] was signed into law, prohibiting the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] from prosecuting individuals acting in accordance with state medical cannabis laws.<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Ingraham |first1 = Christopher |title = Jeff Sessions personally asked Congress to let him prosecute medical-marijuana providers |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-personally-asked-congress-to-let-him-prosecute-medical-marijuana-providers/ |access-date = 9 July 2017 |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = 13 June 2017 |archive-date = 4 July 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170704095547/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-personally-asked-congress-to-let-him-prosecute-medical-marijuana-providers/ |url-status = live }}</ref>
==Harm reduction==
[[Image:Aspergillus.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Aspergillus fumigatus]]'']]
Many medical cannabis opponents note that [[cannabis smoking|smoking cannabis]] is harmful to the respiratory system. However, this harm can be minimized or eliminated by the use of a [[vaporizer]] or [[ingesting]] the drug in an [[edible]] form or other non-smoking modes of delivery like [[tinctures]]. Vaporizers are devices that vaporize the active constituents ([[cannabinoids]]) and the [[incense|fragrant]] [[aromatic]] substances in the preparation without combusting the plant material and thus preventing the formation of toxic substances. Studies have shown that vaporizers can dramatically reduce<ref name="Gieringer 2004">''Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Delivery of THC with Effective Suppression of Pyrolytic Compounds'' By D. Gieringer et.al. Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, Vol. 4(1) 2004, [http://www.maps.org/mmj/Gieringer-vaporizer.pdf] </ref> or even eliminate<ref name="Hazekamp 2006">''Evaluation of a Vaporizing Device (Volcano) for the Pulmonary Administration of Tetrahydrocannabinol''. By A. HAZEKAMP, R. RUHAAK, et.al. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, VOL. 95, NO. 6, JUNE 2006 [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16637053&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum abstract]</ref> the release of irritants and toxic compounds.


In the US, the FDA has approved two oral cannabinoids for use as medicine in 1985:<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Amy |date=16 May 2006 |title="New" Pot Pill For Chemo Patients |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-pot-pill-for-chemo-patients/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728172927/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-pot-pill-for-chemo-patients/ |archive-date=28 July 2017 |access-date=26 July 2017 |work=CBS News |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> [[tetrahydrocannabinol#Marinol|dronabinol]] (pure delta-9-THC; brand name Marinol) and [[nabilone]] (a [[Synthetic cannabinoids|synthetic neocannabinoid]]; brand name Cesamet).<ref name="Borgelt2013" /> In the US, they are both listed as Schedule II, indicating high potential for side effects and addiction.<ref name="Svrakic2012" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Final Rule: Placement of FDA-Approved Products of Oral Solutions Containing Dronabinol [(-)-delta-9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC)] in Schedule II |url=https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2017/fr1122_6.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328121003/https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2017/fr1122_6.htm |archive-date=28 March 2018 |access-date=2 February 2018 |website=U.S. Department of Justice}}</ref>
In order to kill [[microorganism]]s, especially mold, the scientists "Levitz and Diamond (1991) suggested baking marijuana in home ovens at 150 °C [302 °F], for five minutes before smoking. Oven treatment killed [[conidia]] of [[Aspergillus fumigatus|A. fumigatus]], [[Aspergillus flavus|A. flavus]] and [[Aspergillus niger|A. niger]], and did not degrade the active component of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hempfood.com/IHA/iha01205.html |title=Microbiological contaminants of marijuana |publisher=Hempfood.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


=== Economics ===
==Availability in Austria==
On July 9, 2008 the [[Austria]]n Parliament approved cannabis cultivation for scientific and medical uses.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gMXaMnzKEu6FxfDVlCHd4xMcmEbg
|title=AFP: Austria allows cannabis for medical purposes
|publisher=afp.google.com
|accessdate=2008-07-21
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref>


==== Distribution ====
==Availability in Canada==
[[File:Discount Medical Marijuana - 2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dispensary#Cannabis (North America)|Medical marijuana dispensary in Denver, Colorado]] ]]
In [[Canada]], the regulation on access to marijuana for medical purposes, established by [[Health Canada]] in July 2001, defines two categories of patients eligible for access to medical cannabis. The category 1 list individuals suffering from "acute pain", "violent nausea and/or other serious symptoms caused by the following conditions: multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, disease of the spinal cord, cancer, AIDS/HIV infection, severe forms of arthritis and/or epilepsy. The category 2 "key applicants who have serious pathological symptoms other than those described in category 1."<ref>{{fr}} [http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/about-apropos/faq_f.html Foire aux questions au sujet de la marihuana à des fins médicales], sur le site de [http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_f.html Santé Canada]</ref> The application of eligible patients must be supported by a doctor.


The method of obtaining medical cannabis varies by region and by legislation. In the US, most consumers grow their own or buy it from [[Cannabis dispensaries in the United States|cannabis dispensaries]] in states where it is legal.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /><ref name=BaltSun>{{cite news |url = http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/sun-investigates/bs-md-medical-marijuana-fees-20141011,0,3253557.story?page=1 |title = Medical marijuana fees stir debate in Maryland |newspaper = The Baltimore Sun |author = Timothy B. Wheeler |date = 11 October 2014 |access-date = 12 October 2014 |archive-date = 16 October 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141016223445/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/sun-investigates/bs-md-medical-marijuana-fees-20141011,0,3253557.story?page=1 }}</ref> [[Marijuana vending machine]]s for selling or dispensing cannabis are in use in the United States and are planned to be used in Canada.<ref name=FirstForeignMarket>{{cite news |url = http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/10/16/pot-vending-machines-to-start-rolling-into-canada-after-firm-partners-with-u-s-company/ |title = The pot vending machine's first foreign market? Canada, of course, "a seed for the rest of the world" |newspaper = National Post |author = Blackwell, Tom |date = 16 October 2013 |access-date = 4 December 2013 }}</ref> In 2014, the startup Meadow began offering on-demand delivery of medical marijuana in the San Francisco Bay Area, through their mobile app.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/14/uber-for-weed-startup-meadow-lights-up-in-san-francisco/ |title = Uber-For-Weed Startup Meadow Lights Up In San Francisco |date = 14 October 2014 |publisher = AOL |work = TechCrunch |access-date = 22 January 2016 |archive-date = 23 January 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160123174609/http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/14/uber-for-weed-startup-meadow-lights-up-in-san-francisco/ |url-status = live }}</ref>
The cannabis distributed by Health Canada is provided under the brand CanniMed by the company [[Prairie Plant Systems]] Inc. In 2006, 420&nbsp;kg of CanniMed cannabis was sold, representing an increase of 80% over the previous year.<ref>{{en}} [http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/10/23/prairie-plant.html « More pot, please: Demand booming for Prairie Plant's marijuana »], CBC, 23 octobre 2006.</ref> It is also legal for patients approved by Health Canada to grow their own cannabis for personal consumption, and it is possible to obtain a production license as a person designated by a patient. Health Canada noted however that "no notice of compliance has been issued for marijuana for medical purposes."


Almost 70% of medical cannabis is exported from the United Kingdom, according to a 2017 United Nations report, with much of the remaining amount coming from Canada and the Netherlands.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-07|title=The UK is the world's largest producer of legal Cannabis, UN body finds|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cannabis-legal-uk-worlds-largest-producer-marijuana-weed-un-body-findings-a8243921.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cannabis-legal-uk-worlds-largest-producer-marijuana-weed-un-body-findings-a8243921.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-07|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>
==Availability in Spain==
In [[Spain]], since the late 1990s and early 2000s, medical cannabis underwent a process of progressive decriminalization and legalization. The parliament of the region of [[Catalonia]] is the first in Spain have voted unanimously in 2001 legalizing medical marijuana, it is quickly followed by parliaments of [[Aragon]] and the [[Balearic Islands]]. The Spanish Penal Code prohibits the sale of cannabis but it does not prohibit consumption. Until early 2000, the Penal Code did not distinguish between therapeutic use of cannabis and recreational use, however, several court decisions show that this distinction is increasingly taken into account by the judges. From 2006, the sale of seed is legalized, possession or consumption is still forbidden in public places but permitted in private premises. Moreover, the cultivation of cannabis plants is now authorized in a private place.


==== Insurance ====
Several studies have been conducted to study the effects of cannabis on patients suffering from diseases like cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, seizures or asthma. This research was conducted by various Spanish agencies at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid headed by Dr. Manuel Guzman, the hospital of La Laguna in Tenerife led neurosurgeon Luis González Feria or the [[University of Barcelona]].
In the United States, health insurance companies may not pay for a medical marijuana prescription as the [[Food and Drug Administration]] must approve any substance for medicinal purposes. Before this can happen, the FDA must first permit the study of the medical benefits and drawbacks of the substance, which it has not done since it was placed on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Therefore, all expenses incurred fulfilling a medical marijuana prescription will possibly be incurred as out-of-pocket.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.insurancecompliancecorner.com/the-medical-marijuana-debate/ |title = The Medical Marijuana Debate |last1 = Clark |first1 = Tonya Body |date = 10 February 2015 |website = Compliance Corner |publisher = Wolters Kluwer Financial Services |access-date = 26 February 2015 |archive-date = 26 February 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150226193755/http://www.insurancecompliancecorner.com/the-medical-marijuana-debate/ }}</ref> However, the [[New Mexico Court of Appeals]] has ruled that [[workers' compensation]] insurance must pay for prescribed marijuana as part of the state's Medical Cannabis Program.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://nmpoliticalreport.com/4483/court-employer-cant-block-workers-comp-for-medical-marijuana/ |title = Court: Employer can't block workers' comp for medical marijuana |last1 = Peters |first1 = Joey |date = 29 June 2015 |website = NM Political Report |access-date = 30 June 2015 |archive-date = 30 June 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150630061942/http://nmpoliticalreport.com/4483/court-employer-cant-block-workers-comp-for-medical-marijuana/ |url-status = live }}</ref>


=== Positions of medical organizations ===
After legislation, several cannabis clubs have been established including the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]] and [[Catalonia]]. These clubs, the first of its kind in Europe, are non-profit associations who grow cannabis and sell it at cost to its members. In 2006, members of these clubs were acquitted in trial for possession and sale of cannabis.
Medical organizations that have issued statements in support of allowing access to medical cannabis include the [[American Nurses Association]],<ref name="ANA">{{citation |title = Therapeutic Use of Marijuana and Related Cannabinoids |url = https://www.nursingworld.org/~4ad4a8/globalassets/docs/ana/therapeutic-use-of-marijuana-and-related-cannabinoids.pdf |publisher = American Nurses Association |date = 2016 |access-date = 13 May 2018 |archive-date = 21 September 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200921162957/https://www.nursingworld.org/~4ad4a8/globalassets/docs/ana/therapeutic-use-of-marijuana-and-related-cannabinoids.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> [[American Public Health Association]],<ref>{{cite web |title = Resolution on Medical Marijuana |url = http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/apha.htm |website = druglibrary.org |access-date = 30 July 2017 |archive-date = 19 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019170836/http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/apha.htm |url-status = live }}</ref> [[American Medical Student Association]],<ref>{{cite web |title = House of Delegates 2017, Resolution: A8 |url = http://www.amsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/A8-Principles-Regarding-Illegal-drugs-alcohol-and-tobacco-1.pdf |website = amsa.org |publisher = American Medical Student Association |access-date = 30 July 2017 |archive-date = 1 August 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170801124633/http://www.amsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/A8-Principles-Regarding-Illegal-drugs-alcohol-and-tobacco-1.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> [[National Multiple Sclerosis Society]],<ref>{{cite web |title = Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) FAQs |url = http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Treating-MS/Complementary-Alternative-Medicines/Marijuana/Marijuana-FAQs |website = National Multiple Sclerosis Society |access-date = 30 July 2017 |archive-date = 31 July 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170731163441/http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Treating-MS/Complementary-Alternative-Medicines/Marijuana/Marijuana-FAQs |url-status = live }}</ref> [[Epilepsy Foundation]],<ref>{{cite press release |last1 = Gattone |first1 = Philip M. |last2 = Lammert |first2 = Warreb |title = Epilepsy Foundation Calls for Increased Medical Marijuana Access and Research |url = http://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/2/epilepsy-foundation-calls-increased-medical-marijuana-access-and-research |access-date = 30 July 2017 |location = Washington, D.C. |publisher = Epilepsy Foundation |date = 20 February 2014 |archive-date = 31 July 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170731185604/http://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/2/epilepsy-foundation-calls-increased-medical-marijuana-access-and-research |url-status = live }}</ref> and [[Leukemia & Lymphoma Society]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Medical Marijuana Use and Research |url = https://www.maps.org/research-archive/mmj/lnls-res.pdf |website = maps.org |publisher = Leukemia & Lymphoma Society |access-date = 30 July 2017 |archive-date = 19 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019171337/https://www.maps.org/research-archive/mmj/lnls-res.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>


Organizations that oppose the legalization of medical cannabis include the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]] (AAP)<ref name="AAP">{{citation |title = American Academy of Pediatrics Reaffirms Opposition to Legalizing Marijuana for Recreational or Medical Use |url = https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Reaffirms-Opposition-to-Legalizing-Marijuana-for-Recreational-or-Medical-Use.aspx |access-date = 30 July 2017 |publisher = American Academy of Pediatrics |date = 26 January 2015 |archive-date = 26 April 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180426075849/https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Reaffirms-Opposition-to-Legalizing-Marijuana-for-Recreational-or-Medical-Use.aspx }}</ref> and [[American Psychiatric Association]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Position Statement on Marijuana as Medicine |url = https://www.psychiatry.org/file%20library/about-apa/organization-documents-policies/policies/position-2013-marijuana-as-medicine.pdf |website = American Psychiatric Association |access-date = 30 July 2017 |archive-date = 31 July 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170731152505/https://www.psychiatry.org/file%20library/about-apa/organization-documents-policies/policies/position-2013-marijuana-as-medicine.pdf }}</ref> However, the AAP also supports rescheduling for the purpose of facilitating research.<ref name="AAP" />
==Availability in United States==
{{main|Cannabis in the United States}}
In the [[United States]], it is important to differentiate between medical cannabis at the federal and at the state level. At the federal level, cannabis ''[[per se]]'' has been made criminal by implementation of the [[Controlled Substances Act]] which classifies marijuana is a [[Schedule I drug]], the strictest classification on par with [[heroin]], [[LSD]] and [[Ecstasy]]. The United States [[Food and Drug Administration (United States)|Food and Drug Administration]] states "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/marijuana_position.html#smoked |title=The DEA Position On Marijuana |publisher=Usdoj.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2006/new01362.html |title=Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine |publisher=Fda.gov |date=2006-04-20 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


The [[American Medical Association]]<ref>{{citation |title = Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes |url = https://www.ama-assn.org/sites/default/files/media-browser/public/about-ama/councils/Council%20Reports/council-on-science-public-health/i09-csaph-medical-marijuana.pdf |publisher = American Medical Association |date = 2009 |access-date = 1 July 2017 |archive-date = 19 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019170230/https://www.ama-assn.org/sites/default/files/media-browser/public/about-ama/councils/Council%20Reports/council-on-science-public-health/i09-csaph-medical-marijuana.pdf }}</ref> and [[American College of Physicians]]<ref>{{citation |title = Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana |url = https://www.acponline.org/acp_policy/policies/supporting_research_therapeutic_role_of_marijuana_2016.pdf |publisher = American College of Physicians |date = February 2016 |access-date = 1 August 2017 |archive-date = 3 August 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200803220748/https://www.acponline.org/acp_policy/policies/supporting_research_therapeutic_role_of_marijuana_2016.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> do not take a position on the legalization of medical cannabis, but have called for the Schedule I classification to be reviewed. The [[American Academy of Family Physicians]]<ref name="AAFP">{{cite news |title=AAFP Releases Marijuana, Cannabinoids Position Paper |url=https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20190920cannabispaper.html |access-date=6 October 2019 |work=American Academy of Family Physicians |date=20 September 2019 |archive-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928025405/https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20190920cannabispaper.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[American Society of Addiction Medicine]]<ref>{{cite press release |date=13 October 2020 |title=ASAM Issues New Public Policy Statement on Cannabis |url=https://www.asam.org/Quality-Science/publications/magazine/read/asam-advocacy-blog/2020/10/13/asam-issues-new-public-policy-statement-on-cannabis |location=Rockville, MD |publisher=American Society of Addiction Medicine |access-date=1 November 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108221433/https://www.asam.org/Quality-Science/publications/magazine/read/asam-advocacy-blog/2020/10/13/asam-issues-new-public-policy-statement-on-cannabis }}</ref> also do not take a position, but do support rescheduling to better facilitate research. The [[American Heart Association]] says that "many of the concerning health implications of cannabis include cardiovascular diseases" but that it supports rescheduling to allow "more nuanced ... marijuana legislation and regulation" and to "reflect the existing science behind cannabis".<ref>{{cite journal |author=American Heart Association |title=Medical Marijuana, Recreational Cannabis, and Cardiovascular Health |journal=Circulation |date=5 August 2020 |volume=142 |issue=10 |pages=e131–52 |doi=10.1161/CIR.0000000000000883 |pmid=32752884 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[American Cancer Society]]<ref name="ACS">{{cite web |title = Marijuana and Cancer |url = https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/marijuana-and-cancer.html |website = American Cancer Society |access-date = 12 July 2017 |archive-date = 22 June 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170622082320/https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/marijuana-and-cancer.html |url-status = live }}</ref> and [[American Psychological Association]]<ref name="APA">{{cite news |title = Marijuana research: Overcoming the barriers |url = http://advocacy.apascience.org/blog/2017/9/13/marijuana-research-overcoming-the-barriers |access-date = 9 October 2017 |work = American Psychological Association |date = 14 September 2017 |archive-date = 4 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171004035308/http://advocacy.apascience.org/blog/2017/9/13/marijuana-research-overcoming-the-barriers }}</ref> have noted the obstacles that exist for conducting research on cannabis, and have called on the federal government to better enable scientific study of the drug.
At the same time, the [[Health and Human Services]] Division of the US Government holds a [[patent]] for medical marijuana. The patent, "Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants", issued October 2003<ref name="patentstorm1"/> reads: "[[Cannabinoids]] have been found to have [[antioxidant]] properties, unrelated to [[NMDA]] receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and [[prophylaxis]] of wide variety of [[oxidation]] associated diseases, such as [[ischemic]], age-related, [[inflammatory]] and [[autoimmune]] diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as [[stroke]] and [[trauma]], or in the treatment of [[neurodegenerative diseases]], such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia...."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/257008 |title=Opinion: US Government Holds Patent For Medical Marijuana, Shows Hipocrisy - Digital Journal: Your News Network |publisher=Digital Journal |date=2008-07-07 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>


[[Cancer Research UK]] say that while cannabis is being studied for therapeutic potential, "claims that there is solid "proof" that cannabis or cannabinoids can cure cancer is highly misleading to patients and their families, and builds a false picture of the state of progress in this area".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2012/07/25/cannabis-cannabinoids-and-cancer-the-evidence-so-far/|title=Cannabis, cannabinoids and cancer – the evidence so far|last=Arney|first=Kat|date=25 July 2012|publisher=[[Cancer Research UK]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211145440/http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2012/07/25/cannabis-cannabinoids-and-cancer-the-evidence-so-far/|archive-date=11 February 2014}}</ref>
=== Notable pro-medical cannabis individuals ===
[[Image:Medical cannabis demo 2.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Pro-cannabis demonstrators in Los Angeles (August 2007)]]
Supporters of legalizing cannabis for medical use range from actors and musicians to politicians, writers, and scientists. Major activists include [[Steve Kubby]], [[Ethan Nadelmann]], [[Dennis Peron]], [[Angel Raich]], [[Robert Randall]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/25/page35.html |title=In Memory: Robert Randall, Father of the Medical Marijuana Movement |accessdate = 2008-02-21 |year=2001 }}</ref> [[Keith Stroup]], and [[Marc Emery]].


=== Nonproprietary names ===
Notable celebrities who are pro-medical cannabis include actors [[Jack Black]], [[Drew Carey]], [[Woody Harrelson]], [[Penn Jillette]], [[Bill Maher]], [[Jeremy Miller]], [[Joe Rogan]], and [[Rob Van Dam]], musicians [[Willie Nelson]], [[Snoop Dogg]], and talk show hosts [[Neal Boortz]], [[Montel Williams]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.montelms.org/TakingAction |title=Taking Action: Montel Williams on medical marijuana |accessdate = 2007-10-31 |year=2006 |work=The Montel Williams MS Foundation}}</ref> and [[Bill Handel]].
There are three [[International Nonproprietary Name]] (INN) granted for cannabinoids: two plant-derived [[Cannabinoid|phytocannabinoids]] and one [[Synthetic cannabinoids|neocannabinoid]]:


* [[Dronabinol]] is the INN for delta-9-THC<ref>{{Cite journal |last=[[World Health Organization]] |date=1984 |title=List of Proposed INNs No. 51 |url=https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/international-nonproprietary-names-(inn)/pl51.pdf?sfvrsn=3ded55af_9&download=true |journal=WHO Chronicle |volume=38 |issue=2 |page=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=[[World Health Organization]] |date=1984 |title=List of Recommended INNs No. 24 |url=https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/international-nonproprietary-names-(inn)/rl24.pdf?sfvrsn=99779214_6&download=true |journal=WHO Chronicle |volume=38 |issue=6 |page=4}}</ref> (there is a common confusion according to which the word "dronabinol" would only refer to synthetic delta-9-THC, which is incorrect<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Riboulet-Zemouli |first=Kenzi |date=2020 |title='Cannabis' ontologies I: Conceptual issues with Cannabis and cannabinoids terminology |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2050324520945797 |journal=Drug Science, Policy and Law |language=en |volume=6 |pages=205032452094579 |doi=10.1177/2050324520945797 |issn=2050-3245}}</ref>).
Politicians from multiple parties support medicinal marijuana use, such as President [[Barack Obama]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Debra J. Saunders |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/28/EDL415IA6F.DTL |title=Two things Obama could do on medical marijuana |publisher=Sfgate.com |date=2009-01-29 |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] members of [[United States House of Representatives|Congress]] [[Barney Frank]], [[Dennis Kucinich]], and [[Sam Farr]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Congress members [[Ron Paul]], [[Doctor of Medicine|MD]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewsource.asp?ID=1560 |title=Ron Paul |work=Medical Marijuana Pro Con |publisher=MPP.ORG }}</ref> and [[Dana Rohrabacher]], Polish Parliament member [[Janusz Korwin-Mikke]], the late Republican State Senator [[Bill Mescher]], and [[United States Libertarian Party|Libertarian]] [[Loretta Nall]]. Researchers and scientist advocates include [[Jay Cavanaugh]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]], [[Lyle Craker]], PhD, [[Milton Friedman]], PhD, [[Stephen Jay Gould]], [[Lester Grinspoon]], MD, and [[Carl Sagan]], PhD.
* [[Cannabidiol]] is also the official INN for the molecule, granted in 2017.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=[[World Health Organization]] |date=2017 |title=List of Recommended INNs No. 77 |url=https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/international-nonproprietary-names-(inn)/rl77.pdf?sfvrsn=c1e6fc91_6&download=true |journal=WHO Drug Information |volume=31 |issue=1 |page=75}}</ref>
* [[Nabilone]] is the INN for a synthetic cannabinoid analog (not present in ''[[Cannabis]]'' plants).


[[Nabiximols]] is the generic name (but not recognized as an INN) of a mixture of Cannabidiol and Dronabinol. Its most common form is the oromucosal spray derived from two strains of ''Cannabis sativa'' and containing THC and CBD traded under the brand name Sativex®.<ref name="Svrakic2012" /> It is not approved in the United States, but is approved in several European countries, Canada, and New Zealand as of 2013.<ref name="Borgelt2013" />
Writers, such as the late [[William F. Buckley]], [[Fred Gardner (activist)|Fred Gardner]], [[Christopher Hitchens]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://imdb.com/title/tt1069233/ |title=In Pot We Trust (2007) (TV) |work=The Internet Movie Database |publisher=IMDb.com, Inc.}}</ref> [[Jack Herer]], [[Peter McWilliams]], [[Salman Rushdie]], [[Ann Druyan]], [[Ed Rosenthal]], [[Rick Steves]], [[Samuel Thompson]], and [[Robert Anton Wilson]] also support the legalization of medical cannabis.


{| class="wikitable"
=== Notable anti-medical cannabis individuals ===
|-
Politicians that oppose the medicinal use of cannabis include former [[Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy|Drug Czar]]s [[Andrea Barthwell]], [[William Bennett]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewsource.asp?ID=1336 | title=William J. Bennett | publisher=Medical Marijuana ProCon.org | work=Biography of William J. Bennett | date=2007-10-28 | accessdate=2007-10-28}}</ref> [[Barry McCaffrey]],<ref>[http://www.abanet.org/irr/hr/fall97/marijuan.html Medical Marijuana: A Dream Up In Smoke? - Human Rights Magazine Fall 1997]</ref> and [[John P. Walters]], former [[President of the United States|U.S. President]]s [[George H. W. Bush]] and [[George W. Bush]], congressmen [[Theodore Sophocleus]]<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4183/is_20020326/ai_n10049189 Opposition set to snuff out medical marijuana bill | Daily Record, The (Baltimore) | Find Articles at BNET.com]</ref> and [[Mark Souder]], and former governors [[Mitt Romney]]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2007/10/07/romney.confronted.cnn | title=Romney Confronted | publisher=CNN | work=CNN Video - Breaking News |date=2007-10-08 | accessdate=2007-10-08}}</ref> and [[Eliot Spitzer]].
! Generic<br />name
! Brand <br /> name(s)
! Country (non-exhaustive)
! Licensed indications
|-
| [[Nabilone]]
| [[Cesamet]]
| rowspan="2" | U.S., Canada
| rowspan="2" | [[Antiemetic]] (treatment of nausea or vomiting) associated with chemotherapy that has failed to respond adequately to conventional therapy<ref name=Borgelt2013 />
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Dronabinol]]
|[[Tetrahydrocannabinol#Marinol|Marinol]]
|-
|[[Insys Therapeutics|Syndros]]
| U.S.
| Anorexia associated with AIDS–related weight loss<ref name=Borgelt2013 />
|-
|[[Nabiximols]]
|[[Sativex]]
| Canada, New Zealand,<br />majority of the EU<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Abuhasira R, Shbiro L, Landschaft Y | title = Medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids containing products – Regulations in Europe and North America | journal = European Journal of Internal Medicine | volume = 49 | pages = 2–6 | date = March 2018 | pmid = 29329891 | doi = 10.1016/j.ejim.2018.01.001 }}</ref>
| Limited treatment for spasticity and neuropathic pain associated with [[multiple sclerosis]] and intractable cancer pain.<ref name=Borgelt2013 />
|}


As an [[antiemetic]], these medications are usually used when conventional treatment for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy fail to work.<ref name=Borgelt2013 />
Attorney Generals [[Michael Mukasey]], [[Janet Reno]], and [[Dan Lungren]] also prefer cannabis to be illegal, as well as former [[United States Attorney|U.S. Prosecutor]]s [[Bonnie Dumanis]],<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20061106-9999-1n6prop215.html SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Politics - Medical marijuana remains in legal limbo<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Carol Lam]], and [[Asa Hutchinson]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewsource.asp?ID=1095 | title=Asa Hutchinson | publisher=Medical Marijuana ProCon.org | work=Biography of Asa Hutchinson |date=2007-10-28 | accessdate=2007-10-28 }}</ref> former [[Surgeon General of the United States|Surgeon General]] [[Richard Carmona]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewsource.asp?ID=360 | title=Richard Carmona | publisher=Medical Marijuana ProCon.org | work=Biography of Richard Carmona |date=2007-10-28 | accessdate=2007-10-28}}</ref> former [[Solicitor General of the United States|Solicitor General]] [[Paul Clement]], [[International Narcotics Control Board]] president [[Hamid Ghodse]], Republican Senior Senator [[John McCain]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://granitestaters.com/candidates/ |title=Candidates Positions on Medical Marijuana |publisher=Granitestaters.com |date= |accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> and former [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services]] [[Donna Shalala]]. Conservative talk show hosts, such [[Rush Limbaugh]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewsource.asp?ID=5410 | title=Rush Limbaugh | publisher=Medical Marijuana ProCon.org | work=Biography of Rush Limbaugh |date=2007-10-28 | accessdate=2007-10-28}}</ref> and [[Hal Lindsey]], also oppose the use of medical cannabis.


[[Nabiximols]] is used for treatment of spasticity associated with MS when other therapies have not worked, and when an initial trial demonstrates "meaningful improvement".<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> Trials for FDA approval in the US are underway.<ref name=Borgelt2013 /> It is also approved in several European countries for overactive bladder and [[emesis|vomiting]].<ref name=Svrakic2012 /> When sold under the trade name Sativex as a mouth spray, the prescribed daily dose in Sweden delivers a maximum of 32.4&nbsp;mg of [[THC]] and 30&nbsp;mg of [[Cannabidiol|CBD]]; mild to moderate dizziness is common during the first few weeks.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.fass.se/LIF/product?1&docType=6&specId&userType&nplId=20101019000051 |title = Produkt – FASS Allmänhet |work = fass.se |access-date = 26 December 2013 |archive-date = 19 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019170842/http://www.fass.se/LIF/product?1&docType=6&specId&userType&nplId=20101019000051 |url-status = live }}</ref>
== Legal and medical status of cannabis ==
[[Image:European-cannabis-laws.png|right|thumb|European laws on [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] possession (small amount). Data are from multiple sources detailed on the [[Image talk:World-cannabis-laws.png#Europe|full source list]]]]
{{main|Legal and medical status of cannabis}}
Cannabis is in Schedule IV of the [[Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs]], making it subject to special restrictions. [http://www.incb.org/e/conv/1961/articles.htm#2 Article 2] provides for the following, in reference to Schedule IV drugs:


Relative to inhaled consumption, peak concentration of oral THC is delayed, and it may be difficult to determine optimal dosage because of variability in patient absorption.<ref name=Borgelt2013 />
{{quote|A Party shall, if in its opinion the prevailing conditions in its country render it the most appropriate means of protecting the public health and welfare, prohibit the production, manufacture, export and import of, trade in, possession or use of any such drug except for amounts which may be necessary for medical and scientific research only, including clinical trials therewith to be conducted under or subject to the direct supervision and control of the Party.}}


In 1964, Albert Lockhart and [[Manley West]] began studying the health effects of traditional cannabis use in [[Jamaicans|Jamaican]] communities. They developed, and in 1987 gained permission to market, the pharmaceutical "Canasol", one of the first cannabis extracts.<ref name="FFY">{{cite web | first=Farid F. | last=Youssef | title=Cannabis Unmasked: What it is and why it does what it does | work=UWIToday | date=June 2010 | url=https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/june_2010/article9.asp | access-date=11 May 2021 | archive-date=17 March 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317175037/https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/june_2010/article9.asp | url-status=live }}</ref>
This provision, while apparently providing for the limitation of cannabis to research purposes only, also seems to allow some latitude for nations to make their own judgments. The official Commentary on the Single Convention indicates that Parties are expected to make that judgment in good faith.

== Research ==
{{main|Medical cannabis research}}

A 2022 review concluded that "oral, synthetic cannabis products with high THC-to-CBD ratios and sublingual, extracted cannabis products with comparable THC-to-CBD ratios may be associated with short-term improvements in chronic pain and increased risk for dizziness and sedation."<ref name="pmid35667066">{{cite journal | vauthors=McDonagh MS, Morasco BJ, Wagner J, Ahmed AY, Fu R, Kansagara D | title=Cannabis-Based Products for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review | journal=Ann Intern Med | year=2022 | volume=175 | issue=8 | pages=1143–1153 | pmid=35667066 | doi=10.7326/M21-4520 | s2cid=249433147 | url=https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M21-4520 | access-date=19 February 2023 | archive-date=19 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219233343/https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M21-4520 | url-status=live }}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
{{portal|Cannabis|Medicine}}
* [[California Cannabis Research Medical Group]]
* [[Cannabis Buyers Club]]
* [[Charlotte's Web (cannabis)]]
* [[Chinese herbology]]
* [[Dr. Marcus Conant, et al., v. McCaffrey et al.]]
* [[Eagle Bill]]
* [[Gabriel G. Nahas]]
* [[Legality of cannabis by country]]
* [[Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies]]
* [[Patients Out of Time]]
* [[Tilden's Extract]]
* [[Tilden's Extract]]
* [[United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative]]
* [[Chinese herbology]]


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
===Notes===
{{reflist|2}}


=== Further reading ===
== Further reading ==

{{refbegin}}
{{Refbegin}}
* Cabral. ''Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics'', Vol. 1: "Marijuana and Cannabinoids: Effects on Infections, Immunity, and AIDS" (2001). See also its alternate publication: Russo, Ethan. (2001). ''Cannabis Therapeutics in HIV/AIDS''. The Haworth Press, Inc. ISBN 0-7890-1698-2
* {{cite book | title = The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research | date = 2017 | pmid = 28182367 | doi = 10.17226/24625 | url = http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2017/health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids.aspx | via = nationalacademies.org | publisher = National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: The National Academies Press | author-link1 = National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | isbn = 978-0-309-45304-2 | last1 = National Academies Of Sciences | first1 = Engineering | last2 = Health Medicine | first2 = Division | author3 = Board on Population Health Public Health Practice | author4 = Committee on the Health Effects of Marijuana: An Evidence Review Research Agenda | access-date = 7 February 2017 | archive-date = 14 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200714035337/https://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2017/health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids.aspx | url-status = live }} {{open access}}
* Chang et al. ''The Science of Medical Marijuana'': "[http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/science/chang.bhtml Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol as an Antiemetic in Cancer Patients Receiving High Dose Methotrexate]" (December 1979).
{{Refend}}
* Doblin, et al. ''Schaffer Library of Drug Policy'': "[http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/mariem1.htm Marijuana as Antiemetic Medicine: A Survey of Oncologists' Experiences and Attitudes]" (July 1991).
* Foltin, et al. ''[[National Center for Biotechnology Information]]'': "[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3774823&dopt=Citation Behavioral analysis of marijuana effects on food intake in humans]" (September 26, 1986).
* Joy, et al. ''[[National Academies Press]]'': "[http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6376 Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base]" (1999).
* Mikuriya, M.D. [http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/medpaper.htm Introduction from ''Marijuana: Medical Papers''] (1973).
* Mirken. ''AlterNet'': "[http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/51277/ New Studies Destroy the Last Objection to Medical Marijuana]" (May 2, 2007).
* ''Schaffer Library of Drug Policy'': "[http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/ms_mj_ref.htm References on Multiple Sclerosis and Marijuana]"
* Tashkin. ''Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics'', Vol. 1: "Effects of Smoked Marijuana on the Lung and Its Immune Defenses: Implications for Medicinal Use in HIV-Infected Patients" (2001).
* Vinciguerra, et al. ''The Science of Medical Marijuana'': "[http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/science/vinciguerra.html Peer Reviewed Results of New York State-sponsored Cancer/Marijuana Studies]" (October 1988).
* Wujastyk. ''Ayurveda at the Crossroads of Care and Cure'': "[http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgadkw/papers/cannabis.pd Cannabis in Traditional Indian Herbal Medicine]". ISBN 972-98672-5-9. (2002).
*[[Food and Drug Administration (United States)|Food and Drug Administration]]: "[http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01362.html Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine]" (April 20, 2006).
* Marijuana and Medicine, Assessing the Science Base - Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE [http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309071550]
* History of Cannabis as Medicine: a review [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbp/v28n2/29785.pdf]
* History of Medical Cannabis [http://www.cannabismd.net/history-of-medical-cannabis/]
* How Medical Marijuana Works [http://health.howstuffworks.com/marijuana.htm/printable]
{{refend}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{dmoz|Health/Pharmacy/Drugs_and_Medications/M/Marijuana/}}, links to medical websites concerning cannabis
* [http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org "Should marijuana be a medical option?"] Thousands of expert pros and cons
* [http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/geninfo/news.htm Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research]
* [http://ahp.yorku.ca/?p=59 Bibliography: Cannabis canadensis ''Advances in the History of Psychology''] [[York University]]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1657827965975839596&ei=VCt-SaWoAYrSjgKkiIHNDw&q=union+business&dur=3/ The Union: The Business Behind Getting High] (video)
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-400434907159838787 Montel Williams show "Marijuana, Illegal Drug or Medical Treatment"] (video)


{{Commons category|Medical cannabis}}
{{Cannabis resources}}
, links to websites about medical cannabis
* [http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/patient Information on Cannabis and Cannabinoids] from the U.S. [[National Cancer Institute]]
* [http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/med/infoprof-eng.php Information on cannabis (marihuana, marijuana) and the cannabinoids] from [[Health Canada]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090327124100/http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/geninfo/news.htm The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research of the University of California]
* [http://www.cnn.com/specials/health/medical-marijuana ''Medical Marijuana''] – a 2014–2015 three-part [[CNN]] documentary produced by [[Sanjay Gupta]]
* {{NYTtopic|subjects/m/marijuana|Marijuana and Medical Marijuana}}


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Latest revision as of 19:04, 18 November 2024

Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients.[1][2][3][4] The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not been as rigorously tested as other medicinal plants due to legal and governmental restrictions, resulting in limited clinical research to define the safety and efficacy of using cannabis to treat diseases.[5]

Preliminary evidence has indicated that cannabis might reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy and reduce chronic pain and muscle spasms.[6][7] Regarding non-inhaled cannabis or cannabinoids, a 2021 review found that it provided little relief against chronic pain and sleep disturbance, and caused several transient adverse effects, such as cognitive impairment, nausea, and drowsiness.[8]

Short-term use increases the risk of minor and major adverse effects.[7] Common side effects include dizziness, feeling tired, vomiting, and hallucinations.[7] Long-term effects of cannabis are not clear.[7] Concerns include memory and cognition problems, risk of addiction, schizophrenia in young people, and the risk of children taking it by accident.[6]

Many cultures have used cannabis for therapeutic purposes for thousands of years.[9] Some American medical organizations have requested removal of cannabis from the list of Schedule I controlled substances maintained by the United States federal government, followed by regulatory and scientific review.[10][11] Others oppose its legalization, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.[12]

Medical cannabis can be administered through various methods, including capsules, lozenges, tinctures, dermal patches, oral or dermal sprays, cannabis edibles, and vaporizing or smoking dried buds. Synthetic cannabinoids are available for prescription use in some countries, such as synthetic delta-9-THC and nabilone. Countries that allow the medical use of whole-plant cannabis include Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay. In the United States, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for medical purposes, beginning with the passage of California's Proposition 215 in 1996.[13] Although cannabis remains prohibited for any use at the federal level, the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment was enacted in December 2014, limiting the ability of federal law to be enforced in states where medical cannabis has been legalized.

Classification

In the U.S., the National Institute on Drug Abuse defines medical cannabis as "using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions".[14]

A cannabis plant includes more than 400 different chemicals, of which about 70 are cannabinoids.[15] In comparison, typical government-approved medications contain only one or two chemicals.[15] The number of active chemicals in cannabis is one reason why treatment with cannabis is difficult to classify and study.[15]

A 2014 review stated that the variations in ratio of CBD-to-THC in botanical and pharmaceutical preparations determines the therapeutic vs psychoactive effects (CBD attenuates THC's psychoactive effects[16]) of cannabis products.[17]

Medical uses

Cannabis as illustrated in Köhler's Book of Medicinal Plants, 1897

Overall, research into the health effects of medical cannabis has been of low quality and it is not clear whether it is a useful treatment for any condition, or whether harms outweigh any benefit.[18] There is no consistent evidence that it helps with chronic pain and muscle spasms.[18]

Low quality evidence suggests its use for reducing nausea during chemotherapy, improving appetite in HIV/AIDS, improving sleep, and improving tics in Tourette syndrome.[7] When usual treatments are ineffective, cannabinoids have also been recommended for anorexia, arthritis, glaucoma,[19] and migraine.[20]

It is unclear whether American states might be able to mitigate the adverse effects of the opioid epidemic by prescribing medical cannabis as an alternative pain management drug.[21]

Cannabis should not be used in pregnancy.[22]

Insomnia

Research analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) did not find significant differences in sleep duration between cannabis users and non-users. This suggests that some individuals may perceive benefits from cannabis use in terms of sleep, it may not significantly change overall sleep patterns across the general population.[23]

A review of literature up to 2018 indicates that cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia. CBD, a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, is of particular interest due to its potential to influence sleep without the psychoactive effects associated with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).[24]

Nausea and vomiting

Medical cannabis is somewhat effective in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)[6][19] and may be a reasonable option in those who do not improve following preferential treatment.[25] Comparative studies have found cannabinoids to be more effective than some conventional antiemetics such as prochlorperazine, promethazine, and metoclopramide in controlling CINV,[26] but these are used less frequently because of side effects including dizziness, dysphoria, and hallucinations.[27][28] Long-term cannabis use may cause nausea and vomiting, a condition known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).[29]

A 2016 Cochrane review said that cannabinoids were "probably effective" in treating chemotherapy-induced nausea in children, but with a high side-effect profile (mainly drowsiness, dizziness, altered moods, and increased appetite). Less common side effects were "ocular problems, orthostatic hypotension, muscle twitching, pruritus, vagueness, hallucinations, lightheadedness and dry mouth".[30]

HIV/AIDS

Evidence is lacking for both efficacy and safety of cannabis and cannabinoids in treating patients with HIV/AIDS or for anorexia associated with AIDS. As of 2013, current studies suffer from the effects of bias, small sample size, and lack of long-term data.[31]

Pain

A 2021 review found little effect of using non-inhaled cannabis to relieve chronic pain.[8] According to a 2019 systematic review, there have been inconsistent results of using cannabis for neuropathic pain, spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and pain from rheumatic disorders, but was not effective treating chronic cancer pain. The authors state that additional randomized controlled trials of different cannabis products are necessary to make conclusive recommendations.[18]

When cannabis is inhaled to relieve pain, blood levels of cannabinoids rise faster than when oral products are used, peaking within three minutes and attaining an analgesic effect in seven minutes.[32]

A 2011 review considered cannabis to be generally safe,[33] and it appears safer than opioids in palliative care.[34]

A 2022 review concluded the pain relief experienced after using medical cannabis is due to the placebo effect, especially given widespread media attention that sets the expectation for pain relief.[35]

Neurological conditions

Cannabis' efficacy is not clear in treating neurological problems, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and movement problems.[17] Evidence also suggests that oral cannabis extract is effective for reducing patient-centered measures of spasticity.[17] A trial of cannabis is deemed to be a reasonable option if other treatments have not been effective.[6][by whom?] Its use for MS is approved in ten countries.[6][36][conflicted source?] A 2012 review found no problems with tolerance, abuse, or addiction.[37] In the United States, cannabidiol, one of the cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant, has been approved for treating two severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.[38]

Mental health

A 2019 systematic review found that there is a lack of evidence that cannabinoids are effective in treating depressive or anxiety disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, or psychosis.[39]

Research indicates that cannabis, particularly CBD, may have anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) effects. A study found that CBD significantly reduced anxiety during a simulated public speaking test for individuals with social anxiety disorder. However, the relationship between cannabis use and anxiety symptoms is complex, and while some users report relief, the overall evidence from observational studies and clinical trials remains inconclusive. Cannabis is often used by people to cope with anxiety, yet the efficacy and safety of cannabis for treating anxiety disorders is yet to be researched.[40][41]

Cannabis use, especially at high doses, is associated with a higher risk of psychosis, particularly in individuals with a genetic predisposition to psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. Some studies have shown that cannabis can trigger a temporary psychotic episode, which may increase the risk of developing a psychotic disorder later.[42]

The impact of cannabis on depression is less clear. Some studies suggest a potential increase in depression risk among adolescents who use cannabis though findings are inconsistent across studies.[42]

Adverse effects

American medical hashish

Medical use

There is insufficient data to draw strong conclusions about the safety of medical cannabis.[43] Typically, adverse effects of medical cannabis use are not serious;[6] they include tiredness, dizziness, increased appetite, and cardiovascular and psychoactive effects. Other effects can include impaired short-term memory; impaired motor coordination; altered judgment; and paranoia or psychosis at high doses.[44] Tolerance to these effects develops over a period of days or weeks. The amount of cannabis normally used for medicinal purposes is not believed to cause any permanent cognitive impairment in adults, though long-term treatment in adolescents should be weighed carefully as they are more susceptible to these impairments. Withdrawal symptoms are rarely a problem with controlled medical administration of cannabinoids. The ability to drive vehicles or to operate machinery may be impaired until a tolerance is developed.[25] Although supporters of medical cannabis say that it is safe,[43] further research is required to assess the long-term safety of its use.[27][45]

Cognitive effects

Recreational use of cannabis is associated with cognitive deficits, especially for those who begin to use cannabis in adolescence. As of 2021 there is a lack of research into long-term cognitive effects of medical use of cannabis, but one 12-month observational study reported that "MC patients demonstrated significant improvements on measures of executive function and clinical state over the course of 12 months".[46]

Impact on psychosis

Exposure to THC can cause acute transient psychotic symptoms in healthy individuals and people with schizophrenia.[16]

A 2007 meta analysis concluded that cannabis use reduced the average age of onset of psychosis by 2.7 years relative to non-cannabis use.[47] A 2005 meta analysis concluded that adolescent use of cannabis increases the risk of psychosis, and that the risk is dose-related.[48] A 2004 literature review on the subject concluded that cannabis use is associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of psychosis, but that cannabis use is "neither necessary nor sufficient" to cause psychosis.[49] A French review from 2009 came to a conclusion that cannabis use, particularly that before age 15, was a factor in the development of schizophrenic disorders.[50]

Pharmacology

The genus Cannabis contains two species which produce useful amounts of psychoactive cannabinoids: Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa, which are listed as Schedule I medicinal plants in the US;[6] a third species, Cannabis ruderalis, has few psychogenic properties.[6] Cannabis contains more than 460 compounds;[9] at least 80 of these are cannabinoids[51][52]chemical compounds that interact with cannabinoid receptors in the brain.[6] As of 2012, more than 20 cannabinoids were being studied by the U.S. FDA.[53]

The most psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant is tetrahydrocannabinol (or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC).[9] Other cannabinoids include delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabigerol (CBG); they have less psychotropic effects than THC, but may play a role in the overall effect of cannabis.[9] The most studied are THC, CBD and CBN.[54]

CB1 and CB2 are the primary cannabinoid receptors responsible for several of the effects of cannabinoids, although other receptors may play a role as well. Both belong to a group of receptors called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). CB1 receptors are found in very high levels in the brain and are thought to be responsible for psychoactive effects.[55] CB2 receptors are found peripherally throughout the body and are thought to modulate pain and inflammation.[56]

Absorption

Cannabinoid absorption is dependent on its route of administration.

Inhaled and vaporized THC have similar absorption profiles to smoked THC, with a bioavailability ranging from 10 to 35%. Oral administration has the lowest bioavailability of approximately 6%, variable absorption depending on the vehicle used, and the longest time to peak plasma levels (2 to 6 hours) compared to smoked or vaporized THC.[57]

Similar to THC, CBD has poor oral bioavailability, approximately 6%. The low bioavailability is largely attributed to significant first-pass metabolism in the liver and erratic absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. However, oral administration of CBD has a faster time to peak concentrations (2 hours) than THC.[57]

Due to the poor bioavailability of oral preparations, alternative routes of administration have been studied, including sublingual and rectal. These alternative formulations maximize bioavailability and reduce first-pass metabolism. Sublingual administration in rabbits yielded bioavailability of 16% and time to peak concentration of 4 hours.[58] Rectal administration in monkeys doubled bioavailability to 13.5% and achieved peak blood concentrations within 1 to 8 hours after administration.[59]

Distribution

Like cannabinoid absorption, distribution is also dependent on route of administration. Smoking and inhalation of vaporized cannabis have better absorption than do other routes of administration, and therefore also have more predictable distribution.[59][60] THC is highly protein bound once absorbed, with only 3% found unbound in the plasma. It distributes rapidly to highly vascularized organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys, as well as to various glands. Low levels can be detected in the brain, testes, and unborn fetuses, all of which are protected from systemic circulation via barriers.[61] THC further distributes into fatty tissues a few days after administration due to its high lipophilicity, and is found deposited in the spleen and fat after redistribution.[60][62][63]

Metabolism

Delta-9-THC is the primary molecule responsible for the effects of cannabis. Delta-9-THC is metabolized in the liver and turns into 11-OH-THC.[64] 11-OH-THC is the first metabolic product in this pathway. Both Delta-9-THC and 11-OH-THC are psychoactive. The metabolism of THC into 11-OH-THC plays a part in the heightened psychoactive effects of edible cannabis.[65]

Next, 11-OH-THC is metabolized in the liver into 11-COOH-THC, which is the second metabolic product of THC.[66] 11-COOH-THC is not psychoactive.[64]

Ingestion of edible cannabis products lead to a slower onset of effect than the inhalation of it because the THC travels to the liver first through the blood before it travels to the rest of the body. Inhaled cannabis can result in THC going directly to the brain, where it then travels from the brain back to the liver in recirculation for metabolism.[64] Eventually, both routes of metabolism result in the metabolism of psychoactive THC to inactive 11-COOH-THC.

Excretion

Due to substantial metabolism of THC and CBD, their metabolites are excreted mostly via feces, rather than by urine.[57][67] After delta-9-THC is hydroxylated into 11-OH-THC via CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4, it undergoes phase II metabolism into more than 30 metabolites, a majority of which are products of glucuronidation. Approximately 65% of THC is excreted in feces and 25% in the urine, while the remaining 10% is excreted by other means.[57] The terminal half-life of THC is 25 to 36 hours,[68] whereas for CBD it is 18 to 32 hours.[67]

CBD is hydroxylated by P450 liver enzymes into 7-OH-CBD. Its metabolites are products of primarily CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 activity, with potential activity of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, and CYP2D6.[69] Similar to delta-9-THC, a majority of CBD is excreted in feces and some in the urine.[57] The terminal half-life is approximately 18–32 hours.[70]

Administration

Illustrating various forms of medicinal cannabis

Smoking has been the means of administration of cannabis for many users, but it is not suitable for the use of cannabis as a medicine.[71] It was the most common method of medical cannabis consumption in the US as of 2013.[6] It is difficult to predict the pharmacological response to cannabis because concentration of cannabinoids varies widely, as there are different ways of preparing it for consumption (smoked, applied as oils, eaten, infused into other foods, or drunk) and a lack of production controls.[6] The potential for adverse effects from smoke inhalation makes smoking a less viable option than oral preparations.[71] Cannabis vaporizers have gained popularity because of a perception among users that fewer harmful chemicals are ingested when components are inhaled via aerosol rather than smoke.[6] Cannabinoid medicines are available in pill form (dronabinol and nabilone) and liquid extracts formulated into an oromucosal spray (nabiximols).[6] Oral preparations are "problematic due to the uptake of cannabinoids into fatty tissue, from which they are released slowly, and the significant first-pass liver metabolism, which breaks down Δ9THC and contributes further to the variability of plasma concentrations".[71]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved smoked cannabis for any condition or disease, as it deems that evidence is lacking concerning safety and efficacy.[72] The FDA issued a 2006 advisory against smoked medical cannabis stating: "marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision."[72]

History

Ancient

Cannabis, called (meaning "hemp; cannabis; numbness") or dàmá 大麻 (with "big; great") in Chinese, was used in Taiwan for fiber starting about 10,000 years ago.[73] The botanist Hui-lin Li wrote that in China, "The use of Cannabis in medicine was probably a very early development. Since ancient humans used hemp seed as food, it was quite natural for them to also discover the medicinal properties of the plant."[74] Emperor Shen-Nung, who was also a pharmacologist, wrote a book on treatment methods in 2737 BCE that included the medical benefits of cannabis. He recommended the substance for many ailments, including constipation, gout, rheumatism, and absent-mindedness.[75] Cannabis is one of the 50 "fundamental" herbs in traditional Chinese medicine.[76]

The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BCE) from Ancient Egypt describes medical cannabis.[77] The ancient Egyptians used hemp (cannabis) in suppositories for relieving the pain of hemorrhoids.[78]

Surviving texts from ancient India confirm that cannabis' psychoactive properties were recognized, and doctors used it for treating a variety of illnesses and ailments, including insomnia, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, and pain, including during childbirth.[79]

The Ancient Greeks used cannabis to dress wounds and sores on their horses,[80] and in humans, dried leaves of cannabis were used to treat nose bleeds, and cannabis seeds were used to expel tapeworms.[80]

In the medieval Islamic world, Arabic physicians made use of the diuretic, antiemetic, antiepileptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties of Cannabis sativa, and used it extensively as medication from the 8th to 18th centuries.[81]

Landrace strains

Evolution of cultivated cannabis strains. The cultivar, Cannabis ruderalis, still grows wild today.

Cannabis seeds may have been used for food, rituals or religious practices in ancient Europe and China.[82]: 19–22  Harvesting the plant led to the spread of cannabis throughout Eurasia about 10,000 to 5,000 years ago with further distribution to the Middle East and Africa about 2,000 to 500 years ago.[82]: 18–19  A landrace strain of cannabis developed over centuries.[83] They are cultivars of the plant that originated in one specific region.

Widely cultivated strains of cannabis, such as "Afghani" or "Hindu Kush", are indigenous to the Pakistan and Afghanistan regions, while "Durban Poison" is native to Africa.[82]: 45–48  There are approximately 16 landrace strains of cannabis identified from Pakistan, Jamaica, Africa, Mexico, Central America and Asia.[84]

Modern

An Irish physician, William Brooke O'Shaughnessy, is credited with introducing cannabis to Western medicine.[85] O'Shaughnessy discovered cannabis in the 1830s while living abroad in India, where he conducted numerous experiments investigating the drug's medical utility (noting in particular its analgesic and anticonvulsant effects).[86] He returned to England with a supply of cannabis in 1842, after which its use spread through Europe and the United States.[87] In 1845 French physician Jacques-Joseph Moreau published a book about the use of cannabis in psychiatry.[88] In 1850 cannabis was entered into the United States Pharmacopeia.[86] An anecdotal report of Cannabis indica as a treatment for tetanus appeared in Scientific American in 1880.[89]

The use of cannabis in medicine began to decline by the end of the 19th century, due to difficulty in controlling dosages and the rise in popularity of synthetic and opium-derived drugs.[87] Also, the advent of the hypodermic syringe allowed these drugs to be injected for immediate effect, in contrast to cannabis which is not water-soluble and therefore cannot be injected.[87]

In the United States, the medical use of cannabis further declined with the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which imposed new regulations and fees on physicians prescribing cannabis.[90] Cannabis was removed from the U.S. Pharmacopeia in 1941, and officially banned for any use with the passage of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.[87]

Cannabis began to attract renewed interest as medicine in the 1970s and 1980s, in particular due to its use by cancer and AIDS patients who reported relief from the effects of chemotherapy and wasting syndrome.[91] In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to legalize medical cannabis in defiance of federal law.[92] In 2001, Canada became the first country to adopt a system regulating the medical use of cannabis.[93]

Society and culture

Map of world medical cannabis laws
Legal status of (whole-plant) medical cannabis worldwide (only de jure; may not reflect actual access in these countries)
  Legal as authorized by a physician
  Legal for any use (no prescription required)

See also countries that have decriminalized or where enforcement is limited.

Countries that have legalized the medical use of cannabis include Argentina,[94] Australia,[95] Brazil,[96] Canada,[97] Chile,[97] Colombia,[97] Costa Rica,[98] Croatia,[99] Cyprus,[100] Czech Republic,[97] Finland,[101] Germany,[102] Greece,[103] Israel,[104] Italy,[105] Jamaica,[106] Lebanon,[107] Luxembourg,[108] Malta,[109] Morocco,[110] the Netherlands,[97] New Zealand,[111] North Macedonia,[112] Panama,[113] Peru,[114] Poland,[115] Portugal,[116] Rwanda,[117] Sri Lanka,[118] Switzerland,[119] Thailand,[120] the United Kingdom,[121] and Uruguay.[97] Other countries have more restrictive laws that allow only the use of isolated cannabinoid drugs such as Sativex or Epidiolex.[122][123] Countries with the most relaxed policies include Canada,[124] the Netherlands,[97] Thailand,[125] and Uruguay,[97] where cannabis can be purchased without need for a prescription. In Mexico, THC content of medical cannabis is limited to one percent.[126] In the United States, the legality of medical cannabis varies by state.[13]

However, in many of these countries, access may not always be possible under the same conditions.

International law

Cannabis and its derivatives are subject to regulation under three United Nations drug control treaties: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.[127]

Cannabis and cannabis resin are classified as a Schedule I drug under the Single Convention treaty, meaning that medical use is considered "indispensible for the relief of pain and suffering" but that it is considered to be an addictive medication with risks of abuse.[128] Countries have an obligation to provide access and sufficient availability of drugs listed in Schedule I for the purposes of medical uses.[129][130]

Prior to December 2020 cannabis and cannabis resin were also included in Schedule IV, a more restrictive level of control, which is for only the most dangerous drugs such as heroin and fentanyl.[131] They were removed after an independent scientific assessment by the World Health Organization in 2018-1029.

Member nations of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted 27–25 to remove it from Schedule IV on 2 December 2020,[132] following a World Health Organization recommendation for removal in January 2019.[133][134]

United States

In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 38 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.[13] An additional 10 states have more restrictive laws allowing the use of low-THC products.[13] Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level under the Controlled Substances Act, which classifies it as a Schedule I drug with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. In December 2014, however, the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment was signed into law, prohibiting the Justice Department from prosecuting individuals acting in accordance with state medical cannabis laws.[135]

In the US, the FDA has approved two oral cannabinoids for use as medicine in 1985:[136] dronabinol (pure delta-9-THC; brand name Marinol) and nabilone (a synthetic neocannabinoid; brand name Cesamet).[6] In the US, they are both listed as Schedule II, indicating high potential for side effects and addiction.[53][137]

Economics

Distribution

Medical marijuana dispensary in Denver, Colorado

The method of obtaining medical cannabis varies by region and by legislation. In the US, most consumers grow their own or buy it from cannabis dispensaries in states where it is legal.[6][138] Marijuana vending machines for selling or dispensing cannabis are in use in the United States and are planned to be used in Canada.[139] In 2014, the startup Meadow began offering on-demand delivery of medical marijuana in the San Francisco Bay Area, through their mobile app.[140]

Almost 70% of medical cannabis is exported from the United Kingdom, according to a 2017 United Nations report, with much of the remaining amount coming from Canada and the Netherlands.[141]

Insurance

In the United States, health insurance companies may not pay for a medical marijuana prescription as the Food and Drug Administration must approve any substance for medicinal purposes. Before this can happen, the FDA must first permit the study of the medical benefits and drawbacks of the substance, which it has not done since it was placed on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Therefore, all expenses incurred fulfilling a medical marijuana prescription will possibly be incurred as out-of-pocket.[142] However, the New Mexico Court of Appeals has ruled that workers' compensation insurance must pay for prescribed marijuana as part of the state's Medical Cannabis Program.[143]

Positions of medical organizations

Medical organizations that have issued statements in support of allowing access to medical cannabis include the American Nurses Association,[10] American Public Health Association,[144] American Medical Student Association,[145] National Multiple Sclerosis Society,[146] Epilepsy Foundation,[147] and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.[148]

Organizations that oppose the legalization of medical cannabis include the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)[12] and American Psychiatric Association.[149] However, the AAP also supports rescheduling for the purpose of facilitating research.[12]

The American Medical Association[150] and American College of Physicians[151] do not take a position on the legalization of medical cannabis, but have called for the Schedule I classification to be reviewed. The American Academy of Family Physicians[11] and American Society of Addiction Medicine[152] also do not take a position, but do support rescheduling to better facilitate research. The American Heart Association says that "many of the concerning health implications of cannabis include cardiovascular diseases" but that it supports rescheduling to allow "more nuanced ... marijuana legislation and regulation" and to "reflect the existing science behind cannabis".[153] The American Cancer Society[154] and American Psychological Association[155] have noted the obstacles that exist for conducting research on cannabis, and have called on the federal government to better enable scientific study of the drug.

Cancer Research UK say that while cannabis is being studied for therapeutic potential, "claims that there is solid "proof" that cannabis or cannabinoids can cure cancer is highly misleading to patients and their families, and builds a false picture of the state of progress in this area".[156]

Nonproprietary names

There are three International Nonproprietary Name (INN) granted for cannabinoids: two plant-derived phytocannabinoids and one neocannabinoid:

  • Dronabinol is the INN for delta-9-THC[157][158] (there is a common confusion according to which the word "dronabinol" would only refer to synthetic delta-9-THC, which is incorrect[159]).
  • Cannabidiol is also the official INN for the molecule, granted in 2017.[160]
  • Nabilone is the INN for a synthetic cannabinoid analog (not present in Cannabis plants).

Nabiximols is the generic name (but not recognized as an INN) of a mixture of Cannabidiol and Dronabinol. Its most common form is the oromucosal spray derived from two strains of Cannabis sativa and containing THC and CBD traded under the brand name Sativex®.[53] It is not approved in the United States, but is approved in several European countries, Canada, and New Zealand as of 2013.[6]

Generic
name
Brand
name(s)
Country (non-exhaustive) Licensed indications
Nabilone Cesamet U.S., Canada Antiemetic (treatment of nausea or vomiting) associated with chemotherapy that has failed to respond adequately to conventional therapy[6]
Dronabinol Marinol
Syndros U.S. Anorexia associated with AIDS–related weight loss[6]
Nabiximols Sativex Canada, New Zealand,
majority of the EU[161]
Limited treatment for spasticity and neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis and intractable cancer pain.[6]

As an antiemetic, these medications are usually used when conventional treatment for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy fail to work.[6]

Nabiximols is used for treatment of spasticity associated with MS when other therapies have not worked, and when an initial trial demonstrates "meaningful improvement".[6] Trials for FDA approval in the US are underway.[6] It is also approved in several European countries for overactive bladder and vomiting.[53] When sold under the trade name Sativex as a mouth spray, the prescribed daily dose in Sweden delivers a maximum of 32.4 mg of THC and 30 mg of CBD; mild to moderate dizziness is common during the first few weeks.[162]

Relative to inhaled consumption, peak concentration of oral THC is delayed, and it may be difficult to determine optimal dosage because of variability in patient absorption.[6]

In 1964, Albert Lockhart and Manley West began studying the health effects of traditional cannabis use in Jamaican communities. They developed, and in 1987 gained permission to market, the pharmaceutical "Canasol", one of the first cannabis extracts.[163]

Research

A 2022 review concluded that "oral, synthetic cannabis products with high THC-to-CBD ratios and sublingual, extracted cannabis products with comparable THC-to-CBD ratios may be associated with short-term improvements in chronic pain and increased risk for dizziness and sedation."[164]

See also

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Further reading

, links to websites about medical cannabis