ABSTRACT

However, the present notoriety of marijuana obscures the fact that forms of cannabis have been employed as accepted, reputable drugs since ancient times. The illegality of cannabis during most of the twentieth century retarded research and development of modern products, both of a therapeutic nature and otherwise. In the last several decades, however, there have been great advances in the scientific understanding of how cannabis affects human physiology, and new products and technologies intended for therapeutic use have appeared. Even countries that unambiguously state that there is no legitimate use of cannabis whatsoever have nevertheless authorized the use of certain cannabis-based medicines. Long considered a “pariah drug,” it is ironic that access to marijuana on the black market “allowed many thousands of patients to rediscover the apparent power of the drug to alleviate symptoms of some of the most cruel and refractory diseases known to humankind” (Robson 2005). Throughout the Western World, jurisdictions are authorizing access to various forms of cannabis, despite the majority scientific viewpoint that evidence supporting usage as a therapeutic agent is inadequate for most applications and the prevalent fear that that the increasing popularity of medical marijuana is a dangerous experiment with possibly harmful consequences for at least a susceptible proportion of individuals as well as for society in general. This chapter outlines what is and isn’t known about medical marijuana, which is surely prerequisite to judge its utility and potential.