The rise of medical marijuana: Health benefits and changing social attitudes

Medical marijuana therapy, also known as cannabidiol (CBD) or medicinal cannabis, has been gaining popularity around the world for several years. This trend is the result of growing awareness of the potential health benefits and changing social and legislative attitudes towards cannabis.

Medical benefits

1. Relief from chronic pain:
   • Medical marijuana is widely used to relieve chronic pain, especially in conditions such as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.
   • THC, the main psychoactive substance in cannabis, helps reduce the sensation of pain, and CBD reduces the unwanted side effects associated with THC.
2. Treatment of symptoms of neurological diseases:
   • Many patients suffering from neurological diseases such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease report improvement of their symptoms with cannabis therapy.
   • Cannabinoids can affect the nervous system, reducing seizures, reducing spasticity, and alleviating other neurological symptoms.
3. Treatment of nausea and lack of appetite:
   • People undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from cancer often experience nausea and loss of appetite. Medical marijuana can help alleviate these symptoms by improving well-being and increasing food intake.
4. Help in dealing with stress and anxiety:
   • Cannabis therapy is being studied for its potential in treating anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thanks to its calming properties, medical marijuana can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.

Changing social and legislative approaches

1. Legalization and availability:
   • In recent years, many countries have liberalized their laws regarding the use of cannabis for medical purposes, which has contributed to the increase in the availability of therapy.
   • In Poland, medicines based on medical marijuana are legal and available on prescription, although the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes is not allowed.
2. Education and awareness:
   • The increasing popularity of medical marijuana is related to increasing public awareness of the potential health benefits and safety of use.
   • Pharmaceutical consultations, courses for patients and the activities of organizations dealing with education about medical marijuana contribute to increasing knowledge about this form of therapy.
3. Cross-sector cooperation:
   • The changing social and legislative approach favors cooperation between the medical and pharmaceutical sectors and patient organizations. Such cooperation contributes to a better understanding of the benefits and risks associated with the use of medical marijuana.

Summary

Medical marijuana therapy is gaining popularity due to its potential health benefits, such as relief from chronic pain, treatment of neurological diseases and chemotherapy-related symptoms, and help with stress management. Changing social and legislative approaches, including the legalization and availability of therapy and growing awareness of its safety and effectiveness, are also contributing to the growing interest in medical marijuana. Although there are still concerns about the long-term effects of cannabis use, a growing number of studies and reports from clinical practice provide increasing evidence of its potential as a therapeutic agent.