Can cannabis (marijuana or weed) be legalised to treat Parkinson disease or epilepsy in the UK or Globally?

By Johnson Mbabazi

Cannabis is a psychoactive compound widely used along history for leisure and therapeutic purposes. Although many open questions remain, cannabis-based therapies have become increasingly common raising considerable interest in politics as well as in general public for legalisation of medical cannabis. Cannabis (marijuana, weed, pot, dope or grass) is the most broadly used illegal drug in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. The effects of cannabis vary from individual to individual: one may feel chilled out, relaxed and happy, some people become more talkative, hunger pangs are common, colours may look more intense and music may sound better and time may feel like it is slowing down. Cannabis can have other effects too if one is not used to it for example feeling faint or sick, sleepy and lethargic, affects memory, feelings of confusion, anxious or paranoid, experience of panic attacks and hallucinations this is more common with stronger forms of cannabis like skunk or sinsemilla(Public Health issue). Long-term use can affect one's ability to learn and concentrate. Clinical research shows that 10% of regular cannabis users become dependent on it and the risk of getting addicted is higher if one uses it daily. In treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) with cannabis; the endocannabinoid system plays a regulatory role in a number of physiological processes and has been found altered in different pathological conditions, including movement disorders. The interactions between cannabinoids and dopamine in the basal ganglia are strangely complex and involves both the modulation of other neurotransmitters (γ-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, opioids, peptides) and the activation of different receptors subtypes (cannabinoid receptor type 1 and 2). Current clinical experimental studies reported interactions between cannabinoids and other receptor systems (transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 cation channel, adenosine receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors).The improved knowledge, adding new interpretation on the biochemical interaction between cannabinoids and other signalling pathways, may contribute to develop new pharmacological strategies. Several clinical studies in different experimental PD models showed that modulating the cannabinoid system may be useful to treat some motor symptoms. Despite new cannabinoid-based medicines have been proposed for motor and non-motor symptoms of PD, so far, results from clinical studies are debatable and inconclusive. Future trials may evaluate the efficacy of cannabidiol in treating seizures due to specific etiologies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1708935789
• ISBN13: 9781708935788
• Release Date: November 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"