Experts back marijuana for patients’ use

The use of medical marijuana in Scotland to help cancer patients can be revealed days after the World Health Organisation approved a key component of the drug.

Officials said cannabidiol, a relaxing compound in medical marijuana, is not a dangerous drug.

The body said it does not have any risks of addiction and can be used as an effective treatment for cancer, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy and in palliative care.

The evidence of its benefits has been compelling enough for a large number of countries to legalise access to it including the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and 25 US states.

Israel is one of the world’s leaders when it comes to researching the effect of cannabis on treating illness.

Research has been going on for five decades and the country’s medical cannabis program, Mechkar, has grown from fewer than 2000 patients in 2008 to 20,000 now.

Uruguay is another potential hotbed. The government of the small South American country is actively encouraging scientists to study the benefits of the plant.

Campaigners argue that much more powerful and potentially dangerous prescription medicines are routinely prescribed by doctors.

Other studies have suggested cannabis can also be used to help with multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.