Are you ready to learn the truth about cannabis in the UK?
Buckle up, folks, because there’s a lot of misconceptions floating around out there.
1. Cannabis can be legally prescribed
One thing that most people (84%) in the UK don’t know is that cannabis can be legally prescribed since 2018. That’s right, if you have a qualifying medical condition, you can get your hands on THC-rich cannabis flower (or oil) from specialist cannabis clinics.
It’s not just the public that are late to the party, apparently 29% of UK police officers are also unaware of this fact, despite around 16,000 patients receiving prescriptions to treat conditions such as chronic pain, inflammation, and anxiety over the last four-and-a-bit years.
2. Cannabis can replace lots of more harmful medicines
Studies have shown that in places where medical cannabis is available, prescription drug use is reduced significantly, in some cases by up to a third.
Even the widespread availability of CBD-rich cannabis in Italy resulted in a significant drop in the use of opioids, anti-anxiety medicines, and sedatives, research found.
Overall, there’s reason to believe that cannabis can go some way to replacing a large percentage of many commonly prescribed drugs, as well as reducing the use and subsequent harms of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.
3. Cannabis is safer than many common medicines
The dangers of cannabis have been talked up for so long by politicians and their experts that most people in the UK are unable to understand cannabis with nuance and objectivity.
In reality, cannabis is far safer than most commonly prescribed medicines. Yes, there are unique risks for young people chronically smoking high-THC cannabis, but for adults using cannabis appropriately, the risks are low and the potential benefits are high.
4. Cannabis shows promise at treating Alzheimer’s
One of the most exciting potential uses for cannabis is in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown that the compounds in cannabis can help to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and even slow the progression of the disease. This could be a huge breakthrough in the medical world and could change the lives of so many people.
THC, CBD and CBN have all shown promise in studies. We recently reported on a case study describing a 75-year-old man who successfully treated his Alzheimer’s symptoms by using daily microdoses of a THC-rich cannabis extract over a 22 month period.
5. Cannabis users had less severe COVID
Surprisingly, cannabis consumers had less severe cases of Covid-19 than non-consumers, a number of studies have found. It’s been suggested that the positive effects of cannabis could be due to the compound’s anti-inflammatory properties.
The anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis have been shown to at least partially be caused by fat loss and reductions in BMI, which are also associated with a reduction in Covid severity.
Previous studies have found that cannabinoids CBDa and CBGa may prevent and treat Covid.
6. Cannabinoids and terpenes are more anti-inflammatory that NSAIDs
Cannabinoids and terpenes, the compounds found in cannabis, are even more anti-inflammatory than commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen, meaning that cannabis could be an even more effective treatment for conditions such as arthritis and chronic pain.
Research suggest that these compounds could potentially help alleviate the symptoms of chronic diseases like arthritis, asthma, and heart disease, and possibly even prevent their development.
7. Legally prescribed cannabis is vaped rather than smoked
If cannabis is prescribed legally, it’s typically vaped using a dry herb vaporiser rather than smoked. This is because vaping is a safer way to consume cannabis and reduces the risk of lung damage.
By using a dry herb vape, the plant matter never reaches temperatures hot enough to cause combustion. Therefore, no harmful chemicals are produced and you’re only inhaling vaporised plant oils.
We believe dry herb vapes are the future of healthy cannabis consumption.
8. A third of UK children receiving end-of-life care are using cannabis
Up to a third of UK children receiving end-of-life care are using cannabis as a means to manage their symptoms, it has been revealed by a recent survey and reported in CannabisHealthNews. Most were using it for pain relief.
With NHS bosses unwilling to grant wide access to cannabis on the NHS, many parents of unwell children are forced to break the law in order to reduce the suffering of their child.
Despite there being plenty of proof of its safety and efficacy (and the fact that 30% of terminally ill children are already using it), NHS bosses want more evidence before medical cannabis is widely prescribed, particularly to children. But is more evidence really needed?
9. Cannabinoids protect the liver from alcohol
Research shows that cannabis could reduce some of the liver damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
The compounds found in cannabis have been shown to reduce the toxicity in the liver caused by ethanol (the chemical compound found in alcohol).
Previous research has found cannabinoids to protect against alcohol-related liver diseases and brain damage.These findings suggest that cannabis could potentially be a treatment for impaired liver function, also known as hepatotoxicity.
10. Cannabis smoke is a lot less harmful to your health than tobacco smoke
Cannabis smoke is a lot less harmful to your health and “distinctly different” than tobacco smoke, recent research confirmed.
It was found that cannabis smoke could be associated with an increased risk of bronchitis, but no elevated risk of pulmonary diseases such as small airway injury, lung disease, lung cancer, or COPD.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cannabis is not the evil drug that it’s made out to be. It’s time for the UK to catch up with the rest of the world and start embracing the benefits of this incredible plant.
From safe pain relief to treating Alzheimer’s, the therapeutic potential of cannabis is astounding. But the most mind-blowing fact of all is that up to a third of UK children receiving end-of-life care are already using it to manage their symptoms, yet the NHS bosses still want more evidence!
It’s time for the UK to stop being so uptight and conservative about cannabis. It’s time to open our minds, and perhaps our lungs, to the possibilities that cannabis has to offer.
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I love all these findings, although the last point is debatable for me as I’ve rarely ever smoked tobacco and my lungs are fairly screwed. Also know others that have struggled a bit with lung function after smoking cannabis for decades like I have.
Don’t get me wrong, other than total tar content cannabis smoke is a bit safer.
It all depends how you smoke and what you smoke, I suppose. You just need to be aware that smoking ANYTHING is not good for your lungs. Full stop.
Thanks for EVERYTHING you do!