Medical Use of Cannabis
The cannabis or hemp plant has been known since antiquity and grows in almost all parts of the world but has been known principally as a source of useful fiber for the manufacture of textiles and rope. In most fiber-producing areas, the plant was not used as a drug. Geographic and climatic factors modify the content of pharmacologically active material in the plant, and only in some regions was this content high enough to lead to the discovery that the plant, and especially its resin, had important drug actions. Knowledge of these actions appears to have arisen first in the Himalayan region of central Asia and spread gradually from there to India, Asia Minor, North Africa, and across the desert to sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the African continent.
Cannabis also formed part of the therapeutic armamentarium of traditional Indian medicine, and many of its uses were like those for which it is currently advocated in our own society.
We find in the cannabis plant two main substances: CBD and THC.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a popular natural remedy for many ailments. CBD benefits include pain relief and relaxation without any mind-altering effects.
Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the major psychoactive component, it is usually used against intense chronic pain. Many people experience a pleasant euphoria and a sense of relaxation. Other common effects, which may vary dramatically among different people, include heightened sensory perception (e.g., brighter colors), laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite.
There are 3 main methods of administration:
- Oral administration results in slow and variable absorption, with a bioavailability of 10% to 20% only.
- Sub-lingual administration is typically the quickest administration method after inhalation. CBD passes directly into the bloodstream through the buccal mucosa. The area under the tongue and the buccal mucosa has many capillaries. For this reason, by placing a few drops of CBD oil under your tongue, this cannabinoid passes directly into the bloodstream. This means that cannabidiol reaches the bloodstream without passing through the digestive tract and without being metabolized in the liver.
- Smoking is undoubtedly the best-known method of administration and is the typical manner of using crude marijuana or hashish, as opposed to pure cannabinoids.
Medical indications of cannabis :
- Anxiety, depression, bad sleep, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- Chronic pain: arthritis, back and cervical pain, cancer
- Neuropathic pain
- Muscle spasms
- Withdrawal of alcohol and opiate addiction
- Parkinson disease
- Alzheimer disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Epilepsy
- Loss of appetite in cancer disease or AIDS disease
At Dr. Olivier Clinic we deliver cannabis oil for sub-lingual use: CBD only, or THC only, or a combination of both.
For patients residing in Thailand, we can organize online consultations and send products.
