Cannabis (drug)

:This article is about cannabis used as a drug. For other uses, see cannabis.

Medical use

Medically, cannabis is most often used as an appetite stimulant and pain reliever for certain terminal illnesses such as cancer and AIDS. It is also used to relieve glaucoma and certain neurological illnesses such as epilepsy, migraine and bipolar disorder. The medical use of cannabis is politically controversial, but it is sometimes recommended informally by physicians. A synthetic version of the major active chemical in cannabis, THC, is readily available in the form of a pill as the prescription drug Marinol. THC has also been found to reduce arterial blockages.http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050404/full/050404-7.html A sublingual spray derived from an extract of cannabis has also been approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis in Canada as the prescription drug Sativex.

Related Topics:
Cancer - AIDS - Glaucoma - Epilepsy - Migraine - Bipolar disorder - Marinol - Multiple sclerosis - Sativex

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See section History for information on historic and other medical use.

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