Canadian Study Finds That Medical Cannabis Products Are Safe And Effective
Humans have used cannabis and derivatives of cannabis for medical purposes for thousands of years. The cannabis plant is arguably the most versatile plant on earth and provides a number of wellness benefits.
Unfortunately, a number of governments around the globe still prohibit cannabis, even for medical use. For whatever reason, those governments cling to the false claim that cannabis has no medical value. Whereas cannabis’ wellness properties have been around for a very long time, cannabis prohibition is a relatively new thing.
Thankfully, the cannabis plant is being researched now more than ever before, and the results of many of those studies are providing key insight which can then be used to debunk prohibitionist talking points, including that cannabis is not safe for medical use.
A study in Canada determined recently that medical cannabis products are indeed safe and effective. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:
Ontario, Canada: Medical cannabis products are safe and effective for older adults with chronic pain conditions, according to data published in The Journal of Cannabis Research.
Researchers assessed the safety and efficacy of cannabis products in a cohort of medically authorized Canadian patients age 65 or older. Subjects in the study used cannabis for at least three months.
Consistent with other studies assessing the use of cannabis by seniors, investigators reported that marijuana treatments were safe, well-tolerated, and associated with meaningful reductions in pain. “No serious AEs (adverse events) were reported, and non-serious AEs were experienced in less than 12 percent of the cohort,” they acknowledged.
Most patients in the study reported no prior experience with cannabis. Most initially purchased cannabis products either high in CBD or containing equal ratios of CBD and THC. Participants typically preferred cannabis oils over other formulations.
Authors concluded, “Our findings inform the underexplored area of medical cannabis use in this population and suggest that medical cannabis is associated with therapeutic effects on pain in older adults with an acceptable safety profile.”
Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis authorization patterns, safety, and associated effects in older adults,” appears in The Journal of Cannabis Research. Additional information is available in NORML’s fact sheet, ‘Cannabis Use by Older Adult Populations.’
