September 17, 2024

Hiba Syed 

12th Grade

Quaz School 

In recent years, there has been a shift in societal perspective towards the use of marijuana in medicine as an increasing amount of scientific evidence has displayed the potential benefits in healthcare. Historically, the most popular way of ingesting marijuana was in a form called tincture, which is a liquid herbal extract from plant material. It was introduced to British medicine in 1842 by Dr W O'Shaughnessy, an army surgeon who had served in India. The therapeutic effects served as a remedy for a variety of ailments, including muscle spasms, menstrual cramps, rheumatism, and the convulsions of tetanus, rabies, and epilepsy. Even Queen Victoria used marijuana against menstrual pains, according to her personal physician. However, The scale of drug abuse increased dramatically during the 1960s, with cannabis being the most trafficked and abused drug worldwide. Half of all drug seizures worldwide are cannabis seizures, and about 147 million people, 2.5% of the world population, consume cannabis compared with 0.2% consuming cocaine and 0.2% consuming opiates. From this, we can conclude the addictive potential of marijuana. 

In 1965, the Dangerous Drugs which implemented the Convention in the United Kingdom, cannabis was still able to be prescribed, though subject to certain controls, however, shortly after the United Kingdom enacted the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which repealed the Act of 1965 replacing them with a more comprehensive regime. Cannabinol and its derivatives including THC (the chemical which gives cannabis its psychoactive properties), were prohibited in healthcare. But how does cannabis work? The hallucinogenic effects of cannabis are mainly due to a compound in cannabis called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The other important compound in cannabis is CBD (cannabidiol). Cannabinoids (THC and CBD) can interact with the brain via the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The endocannaboidinoidal system is involved in regulating cognitive processes such as mood, memory, and pain sensation, The ECS plays a pivotal role in neural functions like addictive behaviors, that may stem from substances like cannabis. THC binds with high affinity to the CB1 receptor, which mediates its abuse-related and reinforcing effects. CBD, which has a low affinity for the cannabinoid receptors and lacks abuse liability, has a complex pharmacology, acting on TRPV1, GPR55, 5-HT1A, and adenosine receptors, among others. 

Along with impacting receptors, in a recent study on twins, those who used marijuana showed a significant decline in general knowledge and verbal ability. Canada remains one of the only countries in the world that allows legal and regulated access to recreational marijuana. But five years after the drug's legalization, the country's cannabis industry is struggling for survival. Due to Canada being the only country in the world that allows the manufacturing of cannabis, the options for importing cannabis are very limited at a low-cost rate, creating a lower demand for illegal importation. There are also numerous economic benefits to legalizing cannabis, as it would encourage more companies to list their stock, opening more potential investors.

Another perspective is that economically, lots of money can be saved from law enforcement. In terms of healthcare, cannabis has been administered in moderate amounts, to mitigate the chance of drug abuse. As of today, the NHS is the only method of obtaining medical cannabis in the UK for children and adults with rare, severe forms of epilepsy, and adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy. They later clarified that cannabis-based treatments would only otherwise be considered when other treatments were not suitable or had not helped. (England, 2022). A form of severe epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome has proven to be controlled by plant-derived highly purified cannabidiol in placebo-controlled clinical trials. Emerging research has suggested CBD blocked signals carried by a molecule called lysophosphatidylinositol, found in brain cells, reducing amplified nerve signals. When ingested, CBD is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels through the body before reaching the brain. 

Nonetheless, with any medication, there are side effects associated with it including, Sleepiness, decreased appetite, diarrhea, increase in liver enzymes, rashes, sleep problems, and infections. There are more serious side effects which are rare and only a very small number of people have died from them. These can include allergic or hypersensitivity reactions, liver problems, tiredness and sedation, and suicidal thoughts.

Cannabis in healthcare has a plethora of benefits, which can be used effectively. Further research is required to establish whether society is prepared for its legalization.