Portugal’s pharmacists against legalisation of medicinal cannabis
“There is no scientific evidence to prove the efficacy and safety of its use,” according to the Pharmacists’ working group when reporting to the parliamentary committee on health.
“There is no scientific evidence to prove the efficacy and safety of its use,” according to the Pharmacists’ working group when reporting to the parliamentary committee on health.
Ben Sessa is a Somerset psychiatrist with a passion for getting psychedelics tested for medical purposes. He explains that the side effects of current antipsychotics can be off putting to people taking medication
Currently, anyone found in possession of cannabis can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both punishments under UK legislation
t may not be totally surprising then that recent research has highlighted how older people are turning to cannabis for pain relief as they develop age-related health problems – and for end-of-life care.
“If it’s heavily controlled by pharmaceutical companies it will be very expensive to buy. A way forward with this is difficult.”
The legislation currently before Parliament, means anyone terminally ill will not have to rely on the discretion of the police or the courts if they’re caught with cannabis.
Chetty said a combination of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), two of the active components in cannabis, may offer new ways to alleviate suffering as a result of certain neurological conditions. “The effects of cannabinoids on the body’s nervous system have already been documented, and the fact that it can alleviate certain kinds of pain and stimulate appetite have already been proven.
Attention may have been hard to come by as far as epilepsy awareness goes, but Ireland says the work of the EAA has only scratched the surface. Epilepsy was one of the first conditions the government looked at when considering cannabis as a medicine.
“We recognise that people with chronic pain and debilitating illnesses are looking to alleviate their symptoms,” a statement said.
“It’s impossible because of political reasons — that’s why I’ve called it political cannabis rather than medicinal cannabis.”