Medicinal cannabis can be easily consumed through inhalation or via food and drink. The alternative effects of medical cannabis are becoming increasingly known, and the need for alternative methods of use is also growing.
Medicinal cannabis can be used to treat many diseases, pains and disorders, including acute and chronic pain, asthma, nasal polyps, rhinitis, migraines, nausea, muscle tension and stiffness, neurological, sleep or digestive disorders, intestinal inflammation, gastrointestinal inflammation, cervical inflammation or corneal inflammation of the eye, colitis, hemorrhoids, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, endometritis, myometritis, glaucoma, ocular degeneration, dry eye, skin conditions pr acne, among others.
To alleviate symptoms, consumption can be done through various routes:
- Respiratory, through vaporization.
- Intranasal, using nasal spray suspensions.
- Intravenous, with injectable solutions.
- Sublingual, using oils, tinctures, chewing gum, tablets or patches.
- Oral, with pills, syrups or edibles.
- Transdermal, through patches.
- Rectal, with suppositories or gels.
- Vaginal, using tampons, suppositories or gels.
- Ocular, with eye drops.
- Percutaneous, with creams or gels.
Some examples:
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neuropsychiatric disorder. Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) and Dravet Syndrome (DS) are two of the most severe forms of epileptic encephalopathy. A study involving 715 patients treated with CBD resulted in a 50% reduction in drop seizure frequency and 36-41% reduction in convulsive seizures in LGS, and a 47-56% reduction in DS, along with an increase in seizure-free days. CBD treatments are available for patients as young as two years old.
Autism in children
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that effects 1 in every 160 children. A study involving 60 children who received CBD treatment resulted in a 61% improvement in behavior outbreaks, a 47% improvement in communication problems, a 39% reduction in anxiety, and 33% recution in stress and disruptive behavior. Somo countries, such as Israel, grant licenses for the treatment of children with epilepsy.
Cancer
Cancer is a broad term that encompasses a large group of diseases. Approximately 39.5% of people are diagnosed with cancer. A study, which included a total 2,970 patients treated with CBD, resulted in 52.9% of patients experiencing a decrease in intense pain after 6 month of treatment. The authors concluded that medicinal cannabis treatment in palliative care for cancer patients is effective, safe and well-tolerated.
Sources:
- https://www.aemps.gob.es/medicamentosUsoHumano/informesPublicos/docs/2021/IPT_43-2021-cannabidiol.pdf
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37570-y
- https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/1/307