In medicine, the hemp plant is used more and more. A healing effect was attributed to it thousands of years ago. What cannabis can really do as a medicine.
Research shows that humans first cultivated the hemp plant 4,000 years ago, The Standard reports. In northwestern China, people have bred the plant specifically for the production of hemp fiber as well as for intoxication. According to “MDR”, its medical use is also well documented: Chinese medicine books suggest consumption for rheumatism and gout, in Europe in the Middle Ages the plant was popular with monks and nuns because of its pain-relieving and digestive effects.
Since 2017, the previously banned medical use in Germany has also been regulated by law. But what exactly can the hemp plant actually do?
In Germany, medical use has been researched for several decades, and the dispensing of cannabis-containing medicines through pharmacies has only been permitted since 2017. Previously, patients who hoped that cannabis would improve their ailments had to grow them themselves at home – but this is still the case before is forbidden.
Doctors, on the other hand, have also been able to prescribe drugs containing cannabis since the law. Depending on the indication, this includes either pure flowers or preparations in the form of sprays, oil or capsules. The most common medicinal use of cannabis is to treat pain, neurological disorders and mental health issues:
According to Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), medical cannabis could also be used in cancer or HIV patients to increase appetite.
However, many preparations are associated with side effects such as tiredness or a weakened short-term memory if the dosage is too high. Patients must therefore exercise caution when handling it. Cannabis preparations are unsuitable for the treatment of psychological problems such as depression or anxiety disorders, as they could possibly worsen the symptoms.
