24/01/2008 00:00:00
New Zealand: Questions and Answers: Medical benefits of Cannabis
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Nandor Tanczos, MP for the Green Party provides some answers of commonly
asked questions on the medical benefits of Cannabis:
For more info visit : Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos on Medical benefits
of Cannabis
How long has cannabis been used for medicinal purposes?
There is evidence that cannabis has been used for over 12,000 years;
there are texts from as far back as 2737B.C. which list the medicinal
uses of cannabis.
The medical uses of cannabis have recently been rediscovered by
researchers and health practitioners around the world, and many
countries are recognising these medicinal benefits by enacting changes
to their laws.
International Perspective:
Canada: legalized cannabis for medicinal use. Standardised cannabis
strains are currently being grown and will be available on prescription
by the end of this year. In the mean time, the Minister of Health has so
far issued permits to patients allowing them to grow their own cannabis
until the official prescription supply is ready.
United States: eight individual states (including Oregon, Hawaii and
Alaska) have enacted legislation whereby patients who suffer from
certain serious or debilitating medical conditions may be granted
authorization to possess marihuana for personal medical use. Patients
may also be permitted to grow marihuana for this purpose, since there
would otherwise be no legitimate supply.
Australia: The medical use of marihuana is currently prohibited in all
states and territories of Australia. However, the government of New
South Wales (NSW) commissioned a report to advise the NSW government on
whether to allow patients with certain medical conditions to use
cannabis. The report recommended a "compassionate regime" whereby
patients would be allowed to grow their own cannabis until the
government can begin prescribing it.
New Zealand: The New Zealand Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 imposes a ban on
the use of cannabis. The Minister of Health has the power under section
14 of the MDA to issue licences permitting medicinal cannabis use.
Although applications have been received by the Minister, none have been
granted.
No one is claiming that cannabis is a "miracle" drug or cure, but it is
becoming clear that cannabis can alleviate the suffering of many people
with a variety of conditions.
What are the medical uses of cannabis?
THC and other cannabinoid's have been shown to have analgesic,
anti-spasmodic, anti-convulsant, anti-tremor, anti-psychotic,
anti-inflammatory, anti-emetic and appetite-stimulant properties.
Research is ongoing into the Neuro protective and immunomodulatory
effects of cannabis.
Can people overdose on cannabis?
Cannabis use encompasses 12,000 years of human experience and is now
used daily by enormous numbers of people for recreation, yet there is no
credible medical report to suggest that consuming marijuana has caused a
single death.
Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects; however,
researchers have been unable to identify the amount of cannabis which
would need to be consumed in order to cause death.
Estimates indicate that a person would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000
times as much cannabis as is contained in one cannabis cigarette, and
they would have to consume this amount in a short space of time (e.g.
less than 1 hour).
What side effects are there from medicinal cannabis use?
All possible side effects are dose dependent. Therapy should start with
low doses, slowly increasing, so that the individual dose can be
determined and unwanted side effects can be avoided.
Many side effects are dose dependent and generally disappear within
hours or 1-3 days without specific treatment.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1556114
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13197
Author:
TVNZ via UKCIA
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