Cannabis for medicinal use

From Benjamin Read.

I FIND it very disheartening to read the ill-informed reply by our Home Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand (JEP, 28 August) in response to the case for legalization/decriminalisation of herbal cannabis for medicinal use.

Many articles have been written about herbal cannabis, but there is precious little worthwhile data to support any kind of conclusion with regard to its use, as any predisposition to mental illness was never recorded in the test subjects making all results highly subjective and flawed.

One carefully controlled independent study I remember reading concluded that herbal cannabis is a very mild substance that requires considerable practice before its full desired effects are achieved and that alcohol was clearly more potent and far more deleterious.

The minister has obviously never suffered from chronic pain for any length of time and not been successfully able to control it, or has known anyone who has found themselves in this position as he states ‘there are better pain killing medicines’ would he be referring to the highly addictive pharmaceutical opiates prescribed by general practitioners?

If not, maybe he could clarify to which pain killing medicine he is referring and how he is so knowledgeable about them?

How many different varieties should an individual be expected to ingest before they decide enough is enough, as they don’t work, or any benefits they provide are seriously outweighed by the side effects.

Herbal cannabis is an ancient plant in terms of use. Historically it has medicinal values such as analgesic, topical analgesic, anti-spasmodic, anti-depressant, appetite stimulant, anti-asthmatic and antibiotic. It is used as treatment for victims of glaucoma, treatment for depression, loss of appetite, nausea associated with chemotherapy treatment, high blood pressure, anxiety migraine, multiple sclerosis and various gynaecological and menstrual problems.

It is not addictive, it is non-toxic. Long-term use does not lead to physical dependency and there are no withdrawal symptoms when it is discontinued. I assume the psychological illness the minister refers to is the association with heavy long-term use with cannabis resin which contains many different and harmful chemicals due to the prohibition of said herbal cannabis.

If herbal cannabis were legalised and decriminalised, medicinal users would no longer have to play Russian roulette with their health and could medicate safe in the knowledge that what they are consuming or ingesting is as natural as could possibly be.

Is the minister aware that the human body contains cannabinoid receptors called CB1 and CB2 and without these herbal cannabis would not and could not have any effect on us and does he know that cannabis contains five main chemical compounds?

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This provides mild to moderate pain relief, relaxation, and relief from insomnia, acts as an appetite stimulant and has antidepressant effects.

Cannabidol (CBI). This provides relief from chronic pain due to muscle spasticity; inhibit cancer cell growth when injected into breast and brain tumours in combination with THC.

Cannibinol (CBN). This acts as an antidepressant and improves the pain relief effects of THC.

Cannabicromene (CBC). This gives ten times the antidepressant effects of CBD, adds to the pain relief provided from THC and has a sedative effect promoting relaxation and aids sleep.

Cannabigerol (CBG). This provides pain relief, reduces inflammation, reduces intra ocular pressure associated with glaucoma and has antibiotic properties.

Finally, is the minister aware that one of the above compounds found in herbal cannabis namely CBD is actually being used to treat schizophrenic symptoms in patients diagnosed with mental illness?

In conclusion I would reiterate that all the above information is readily available through research and I would respectfully suggest that the minister avails himself of all relevant information before quoting unsubstantiated facts and figures.