What exactly is medical marijuana
… And how will Jamaica develop the requisite medical standards?
“AREALLY awesome thing happened to me three months ago,” said Mary Jane* as she told the story of how marijuana changed her life. “I started using CBD oil for my pain management and now I’m 95 per cent pain free.”
The 57-year-old pharmacist and entrepreneur from Montego Bay damaged her spine in a car accident in 1997, which led to degenerative disc disease. She underwent surgery in 2001 but since then has lived in chronic pain associated with her condition.
The simple motion of opening and closing her hands sent needlelike sensations shooting throughout her entire body. Doctor-recommended drugs were ineffective and carried side effects.
Then three months ago her search for an alternative medicine led her to CBD oil, an extract from the ganja plant. Jane consumes the oil by vaporising it. She medicates three times daily, taking between 10 and 15 puffs each session.
“When I feel the pain or the anxiety returning I know it’s time for another medication,” she added.
Jane’s story reflects both the life-changing applications of medical marijuana and the importance of that medicine being validated for patient use.
Medical marijuana refers to the use of the cannabis plant to relieve symptoms or treat ailments. Marijuana contains more than 100 active compounds, but the two most researched cannabinoids are THC and CBD.
CBD has been the front runner in treating ailments as it does not have a psychoactive effect on the patient like THC.
As marijuana becomes more accepted in the arena of traditional medicine, its cultivation, curing, storage, packaging and application must be governed by a universally accepted set of standards.
The plant, and its by-products, must display the highest levels of safety and quality, particularly given its controversial nature.