The Cloudy Role of Cannabis as a Neuropsychiatric Treatment

[Northerner]

Although the healing properties of cannabis have been touted for millennia, research into its potential neuropsychiatric applications truly began to take off in the 1990s following the discovery of the cannabinoid system in the brain. This led to speculation that cannabis could play a therapeutic role in regulating dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters and offer a new means of treating various ailments.

At the same time, efforts to liberalize marijuana laws have successfully played out in several nations, including the United States, where as of today, 36 states provide some access to cannabis. These dual tracks — medical and political — have made cannabis an increasingly accepted part of the cultural fabric.

Yet with this development has come a new quandary for clinicians. Medical cannabis has been made widely available to patients and has largely outpaced the clinical evidence, leaving it unclear how and for which indications it should be used.

The Cloudy Role of Cannabis as a Neuropsychiatric Treatment

Medical cannabis researchers say there is real promise for several conditions, but continued obstacles are hindering the drive for high-quality evidence.

www.medscape.com

 

[mikeyB]

That cannabinoid system in the brain is the one I make use of with CBD oil. This contains a mixture of cannabinoids except THC, which is the psychoactive one that makes you smile. I don’t doubt full bore cannabis would work too, but I don’t need to try it. Or, I should say, I don’t have access to it. As I’ve said before, I know a person with Parkinson’s disease who grows his own, and finds it helps better than his officimedication.

CBD oil doesn’t work for everyone, but I doubt the addition of THC would make any difference to those people.

I’ve long said cannabis should be legalised and manufactured here to standardise strength, because it would reduce crime. Alcohol disinhibits the controls on aggressive behaviour, cannabis does exactly the opposite.

 

[Drummer]

The botanical name is Cannabis sativa, which indicates that it is a medicinal plant - it is a very useful plant, and it used to provide a food source for small birds in the winter. A greater use of it would be beneficial for several different reasons, but those controlling the planting of it are very capricious and have ordered the tearing up and burning of growing crops on several occasions giving no reason for their decision.
Hemp fibre in resin was considered a suitable highly resilient material for making car bodywork at one time, but the US steel industry wanted the business. Hemp fibre makes excellent clothes, or it would if the strain used for clothing had not been destroyed. The US cotton industry did not want the competition.