Cannabis is one of the oldest cultivated crops. With an age over 38 million years, this plant is older than
humanity. The idea of plant-as-medicine predates recorded history. In recent decades, we have seen a
return to plant medicines and treatments.
Origin of medical cannabis
Cannabis has been used for medical purposes since at least 2800 BC. and was listed in the US
Pharmacopoeia until the 1940s. In ancient times, cannabis was mainly used for physical ailments such as
rheumatic pain, periods and fever. Today it is also used regularly to reduce stress or anxiety.
The earliest reference to the use of cannabis as a medicine is sometime around 2800 BC. in China. The
legendary Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung stated in his herbal book that the female plant contained the
most powerful medicine. He prescribed cannabis for the treatment of constipation, malaria, beriberi,
rheumatism and menstrual problems.
It is estimated that the first use of cannabis in India started between 2000 and 1400 BC. It was claimed to
clear the mind, induce sleep and soothe headaches. Until the nineteenth century, cannabis was used in the
Middle East to reduce pain during periods and childbirth.
Europe only discovered medicinal cannabis in the eighteenth century. Here it was mainly used as a hemp oil
or ointment to treat various diseases such as measles and jaundice.
Over the centuries, Chinese doctors continued to prescribe cannabis and new discoveries were made about
its properties. In ancient Mesopotamia, cannabis was used medicinally to anoint swelling. Cannabis
preparations have also been used to treat certain chest and lung diseases, stomach problems, joint swelling
and a variety of other ailments. The use of cannabis as an analgesic and sedative was widespread between
1850 and 1940. Researchers have documented more than 600 pre-1937 cannabis medicines.
Herbal medicine schools
In the 18th century in the United States, there were a lot of experiments in all branches of medicine. During
this time, colleges were opened that focused on herbs (including cannabis) and other aspects of medicine.
The experiments ended by Abraham Flexner’s report. This influential report contributed to the deterioration
of alternative medicine, including herbology.
Cannabis use dropped around the first decades of the 20th century. This was partly due to the difficult
dosage and the effectiveness of other medicines. In 1937, when the Marijuana Tax Act was being debated,
there were no herbal medicine schools left to provide a professor to speak on behalf of cannabis. The
Marijuana Tax Act in America restricted the use and sale of cannabis. Cannabis got a bad reputation for being
associated with criminal offenses committed by Hispanic immigrants.
Research
In the last fifteen years, scientific research has been conducted into cannabis as a medical product. The
discovery of the endocannabinoid system and the CB1 and CB2 receptors has regained the popularity of
cannabis. The CB1 receptors are one of the most abundant receptors in the brain, while the CB2 receptors
are mainly found in the immune and central nervous system. CB receptors in the body are more than 600
million years old, which means that they do not originate from the use of the cannabis plant. The
endocannabinoid system mainly regulates pain and appetite regulation.
Medical cannabis in the Netherlands
In 1976, the use of cannabis in the Netherlands was no longer punishable. A few years later, tolerated sales
through the coffeeshops began. In the 1990s, the demand for medicinal cannabis increased from the
medical world and among patients.
The Netherlands was the first country where the medical use of cannabis was legalized by means of a
national office (the Office of Medicinal Cannabis). Starting from 2003, patients could obtain their cannabis
from a Dutch pharmacy on prescription from a doctor. Yet the requirements for which cannabis may be
prescribed are limited. It is mainly prescribed when the usual treatments and medicines do not help enough
or when the patient has got too many side effects.
There is one company in the Netherlands that legally grows medicinal cannabis and supplies it to
pharmacies. Since 2003, Bedrocan has been producing medicinal cannabis under EU directives.
This article is for informational purposes. For medical advice, always consult your doctor first. If you plan to
experiment with self medication, read carefully and make sure you have solid information. The internet is
now full of articles and studies about the medicinal use of cannabis. Because medicinal cannabis is hot.
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