What’s Up Doc?: Important things to know about recreational and medical use of marijuana

By Medicine Hat News on October 3, 2017.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN is reported to have said, “Every 19 minutes somebody dies of a prescription drug overdose. It doesn’t happen with marijuana.” In the past Gupta was against legalising medical marijuana in the U.S. but now he is in favour of it. He sees some benefit for certain types of illnesses.

The use of medical marijuana (medical cannabis) as a medicine has not been rigorously tested due to several restrictions. But there is some evidence to suggest cannabis can reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and reduce chronic pain and muscle spasm.

Medical marijuana can improve sleep, and improve tics inTourette syndrome.When usual treatments are ineffective, cannabinoidshave also been recommended for anorexia, arthritis, migraine, and glaucoma. It should not be used in pregnancy.

Use of marijuana is not without side effects such as: Dizziness, feeling tired, vomiting, and hallucinations. There is some concern about the long-term use of marijuana. It may cause memory loss, addiction, and schizophrenia.

Recreational use of cannabis is illegal in most parts of the world, but the medical use of cannabis is legal in certain countries, including Canada and 29 states in the U.S.

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

Articles in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ September, 2017) make few important points on the use of medical marijuana:

1. Despite widespread availability, medical marijuana is still experimental.

2. Use of medical marijuana can increase the risk of motor vehicle collision.

3. The drug should be titrated slowly with low initial dosing.

4. Users of medical marijuana may be vulnerable to psychosis.

5. Recreational and medical marijuana are not equivalent and therefore, should have different frameworks for access.

6. User should remember there are substantial gaps in our knowledge on the use of medical marijuana.

7. More vigorous research is required to make better use of this drug.

“I do want to mention a concern that I think about as a father. Young, developing brains are likely more susceptible to harm from marijuana than adult brains. Some recent studies suggest that regular use in teenage years leads to a permanent decrease in IQ. Other research hints at a possible heightened risk of developing psychosis,” says Gupta in one of his articles.

On Aug. 11, 2016, Health Canada announced the newAccess to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). The ACMPR allow for reasonable access to cannabis for medical purposes for Canadians who have been authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes by their health-care practitioner.

These individuals will continue to have the option of purchasing safe, quality-controlled cannabis from one of theproducers licensedby Health Canada. Canadians will also be able to produce a limited amount of cannabis for their own medical purposes, or designate someone to produce it for them.

Dr. Bharwani is a general surgeon, freelance writer, budding photographer and author of A Doctor’s Journey and Doctor B’s Eight Steps to Wellness. His latest book is available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Coles Book Store (Medicine Hat Mall), Nutter’s (Dunmore Road), http://www.nbharwani.com. You can discuss this column and other columns on his website: nbharwani.com and sign up for RSS feed, Twitter or get on the email list.

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