Cannabis has been partially legal since April 1st. Medical cannabis has been available on prescription for some time: medications such as dronabinol drops can help with pain, but are not suitable for all patients. Many people know the hemp plant cannabis primarily as a narcotic. However, in recent years cannabis has also been increasingly used as a medicine, especially in pain therapy.
Medical cannabis on prescription: dronabinol, nabilone and nabiximols
For a long time, cannabis medications were only approved in UK for spasticity and multiple sclerosis. Since 2017, the law “Cannabis as medicine ” makes it possible to get medical cannabis on prescription even for other serious illnesses.
One active ingredient is dronabinol – also known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is available in this country as a so-called prescription drug: it is prepared individually in the pharmacy, usually as oily drops to be taken orally.
Other active ingredients are nabilone, a synthetic variant of THC, and nabiximols, a mixture of cannabis leaf and flower extract. These are available as ready-made medicines in pharmacies, as capsules or as a mouth spray. Medical cannabis in the form of dried flowers or plant extract must be heated for the ingredients to take effect. A vaporizer is ideal for this.
Doctors prescribe cannabis products to chronically ill patients who can no longer tolerate common painkillers or whose painkillers no longer work.
For a long time, cannabis medications were only approved in UK for spasticity and multiple sclerosis. Since 2017, the law “Cannabis as medicine ” makes it possible to get medical cannabis on prescription even for other serious illnesses.
One active ingredient is dronabinol – also known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is available in this country as a so-called prescription drug: it is prepared individually in the pharmacy, usually as oily drops to be taken orally.
Other active ingredients are nabilone, a synthetic variant of THC, and nabiximols, a mixture of cannabis leaf and flower extract. These are available as ready-made medicines in pharmacies, as capsules or as a mouth spray. Medical cannabis in the form of dried flowers or plant extract must be heated for the ingredients to take effect. A vaporizer is ideal for this.
Doctors prescribe cannabis products to chronically ill patients who can no longer tolerate common painkillers or whose painkillers no longer work.
Cannabinoids often do not have the desired effect
According to a According to a study , cannabis is most effective for nerve pain (neuropathy). Cannabis medicines also appear to be effective for multiple sclerosis , severe weight loss due to a tumor disease (tumor cachexia) and in palliative medicine. However, cannabis is not the first choice because it only helps some patients, according to the experience of many pain therapists.
Sometimes cannabis medicine works in the smallest doses, but often it just doesn’t work. Even doctors cannot always predict who it will help and who it won’t. In addition, more than one in three treatments is discontinued due to side effects. The professional association of pain experts is rather skeptical about cannabis medications due to a lack of effectiveness and a lack of long-term studies.
Dronabinol drops are particularly suitable for older people
According to experts, low doses of dronabinol drops can be useful for older people with chronic pain. The cannabinoids they contain affect the body and the psyche. They relieve pain, lighten the mood, ensure better sleep and thus improve the quality of life. Due to the low dosage, the drugs do not have an intoxicating or addictive effect. They also have another advantage for older people: they do not damage the liver and kidneys as much as other medications. This is why doctors prescribe them to people with kidney failure or when the liver is no longer functioning as well.
Cannabis: What are the effects of THC and CBD?
Cannabis contains more than 100 active ingredients. The two most important are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or dronabinol and cannabidiol (CBD):
- THC elevates mood, alters perception (foggy) and can relieve pain.
- CBD acts against inflammation, relieves cramps, reduces anxiety and can relieve pain.
Cannabis has advantages that other active ingredients do not have: the body itself produces very similar substances, the so-called endocannabinoids. They exert their effect via various receptors that are also receptive to ingested cannabis active ingredients. The CB1 receptor is found in the central nervous system and many other organs and relieves anxiety, stress, restlessness and pain. The CB2 receptor is located in the immune cells of the lungs and intestines and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Side effects: Not suitable for heart disease and depression
If the dosage is too high, cannabis spray, for example, can impair short-term memory and have undesirable effects on the taste buds. The most common side effects of cannabis medicine are tiredness and lack of concentration. It can also cause mood swings, dizziness, dry mouth, dry eyes, muscle weakness, increased appetite, rapid heartbeat, sudden drop in blood pressure and heart problems.
There is still very little research into the effects of cannabis medication on patients with depressive disorders or other psychiatric illnesses. However, there are certainly attempts at treatment. Cannabis medication is unsuitable for patients with heart conditions, such as cardiac arrhythmias.
Legalization of Cannabis in UK
Cannabis has been partially legal in UK since April 1, 2024. The federal government wants to curb uncontrolled trade and consumption on the black market and thus organized crime. These regulations apply:
- Cannabis has been removed from the list of prohibited substances in the Narcotics Act.
- Adults are allowed to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis in public.
- At home, possession of up to 50 grams and up to three cannabis plants per adult is permitted.
Cannabis law: What rules apply since legalisation?
Possession and purchase of cannabis are permitted under certain conditions. There is a limit when driving a car.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also wants to increase youth protection with the new law. The purchase, possession and cultivation of cannabis remain prohibited for minors, but will not be prosecuted. The distribution of cannabis to minors remains a criminal offense. If young people are caught with cannabis, the police must inform the parents and, in serious cases, involve the youth welfare office. Minor cannabis users should be offered the opportunity to participate in intervention and prevention programs. The Federal Ministry of Health has launched an information campaign for this target group.
THC: Brain damage and loss of intelligence in young people
Despite its effectiveness, youth addiction experts are critical of the use of cannabis as a medicine, as many young people believe that cannabis is harmless. And legalization could lead to even more young people becoming addicted to cannabis. In the USA, cannabis consumption among young people has doubled since legalization. The fact that a reduced perception of risk increases the willingness to use drugs is fatal, as cannabis can cause massive damage to the brains of adolescents and young adults .
THC clouds several areas of the brain simultaneously, but is particularly strong in the cerebellum, the regulatory center for motor skills and coordination, and in the hippocampus, the seat of memory and emotions. A UK Wide study has shown that smoking marijuana leads to structural changes in the brain in young people. Up to 25 percent of the nerves in the frontal brain, which is responsible for controlling emotions and cognition, are destroyed. Neurological studies also show a loss of intelligence.
Mental Illnesses Caused by Cannabis
In extreme cases, Smoking weed can even trigger mental illnesses such as psychosis , sometimes even after just one joint. Frequent consumption and the high THC content of cannabis increase the risk. Of course, not all young users develop psychosis; there must be a genetic predisposition for it. For some sufferers, the psychosis disappears when they stop consuming cannabis. Others, however, develop lifelong schizophrenia.