Legalization of medical cannabis: why are doctors and pro patients?
Currently, there is no need to focus on amending the laws of Ukraine - this is a very long time. There is a much simpler and more effective way - making changes to the profile resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, in which it is necessary to allow medical use of cannabis leaves and inflorescences, in which dried tetrahydrocannabinol content does not exceed 0.08%.
The corresponding petition on the Verkhovna Rada’s website collected more than 14,000 votes in just one week. True, not everything is so simple here ...
Recently, Ukraine again returned to active discussions on the need to legalize medical cannabis (psychotropic drugs obtained from cannabis) and even more - the corresponding petition has already appeared on the website of the Verkhovna Rada on January 30. In less than a week, the petition gathered more than half of the required votes - 14,354 out of the necessary 25,000. The Acting Member has already expressed support for the petition. Health Minister Uliana Suprun, noting that medical cannabis helps alleviate the suffering of patients and normalize their well-being in a number of serious diseases and conditions. About who and how medical cannabis acts, what doctors think about his legalization and what are the prospects for such a decision in Ukraine, Ukrinform found out.
Alleviate suffering can be patients with cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease
Medical cannabis can primarily help in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (slows down the progression) and epilepsy (reduces the frequency of attacks). As palliative care (relief of suffering) in other countries, it is prescribed to patients with cancer. It is these groups of patients who are now most interested in its legalization. Also, according to the Ministry of Health, it is used for chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, in particular Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (50% of patients with Crohn's disease fully recovered, and 90% felt significant improvements), multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic syndrome, anxiety, depression etc. However, medical cannabis also has side effects - dizziness, indifference, impaired memory and addiction, an effect on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, so the doctor must weigh all the risks and to decide on the appointment of such drugs.
The initiators of the petition emphasize: the use of cannabis-based drugs is regulated by the laws of many countries - Canada, USA, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy , Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Poland and others, where scientific research on the healing properties of cannabis was constantly continued. In Ukraine, cannabinoids are prohibited, and even criminal liability is provided to scientists and doctors who investigate their therapeutic value. We cultivate hemp is allowed only for industrial purposes. And patients who could alleviate their condition with medications based on medical cannabis are waiting for him to be legalized, as Nadezhda Palivoda wrote emotionally on Facebook, a public eco-activist of the NGO “Gardening Kropivnitsky”:
My mother, a cancer patient, saved cannabis from death. Twice. She underwent chemotherapy twice and, as often happens, could not eat anything after her, she was constantly nauseous. Saved medical marijuana (in the same sense as cannabis, crushed parts of cannabis. - Ed.). The doctor prescribes a prescription, and there is a strictly defined dose. It was necessary to take it in a pharmacy, there is a special room for such patients. The worker prepares the device for inhalation - with steam, something like a hookah. It's no secret that marijuana awakens the appetite. Mom started eating well. There were forces. Because of this, she survived & quot ;. This was told by an American who arrived in Kropyvnytskyi on an educational program. I couldn't tell her that. My mother died after chemotherapy. For three months she could not eat anything. Her body did not take anything and could not even stand the kind of food. For three months I watched her die. I hope that thanks to Uliana Suprun, our citizens will get the same right to life as people in all civilized countries.
In general, in society, the attitude towards the legalization of medical marijuana is still controversial, which is especially noticeable in the comments on the web. There is a fear that in this way many will get access to cannabis, which they say will cause an increase in drug addiction. Dmitry Sherembey , Chairman of the Coordination Council of BU & laquo; 100% life & raquo; and one of the authors of the petition convinces: cannabis has long been on the black market, and its legalization is unlikely or will change something in volumes. But it is the black market around it mu will resist, because from the impasse, relatives of sick people (above all, those who suffer from cancer or epilepsy) go exactly there for products from medical cannabis, but would like to do it legally.
"We hope that by signing the petition, people will learn to influence the legislative changes in Ukraine in a civilized manner. This is a symbolic test of tolerance and understanding, because many, including children, living with diseases whose development cannot be controlled. At the same time, any deputy can already come forward with such a legislative initiative. Voting of deputies for such a decision will be able to reduce the number of epilepsy attacks in a child from dozens of times a day to zero, to help a cancer patient to cope with unbearable pain. We say that if the state system cannot offer people treatment or pain relief methods, then at least it has no right to prevent them from finding ways. I think that we already have enough maturity for this at the political and practical level, , says Dmitry Sherembey.
Doctors: the main thing is to establish tight control, and there will be no problems
After interviewing medical specialists, we did not find those who spoke out against legitimizing, or rather decriminalizing, medical cannabis. Experts note that it will be important to establish control over the circulation of such drugs.
Oleg Chaban , head of the department of medical psychology, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy of the medical-psychological faculty of the Bogomolets National Medical University, doctor of medical sciences, professor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and a clinical psychologist says his attitude towards the legalization of medical cannabis is balanced:
According to statistics, half of the current knowledge is denied in medicine every 45 years. We can not say that the emergence of any new drug or treatment of old drugs with a new goal will solve all problems, the same applies to cannabis. The same scientific publications, we know from countries where cannabis is permitted for medical purposes, describe cases without a sufficiently deep statistical processing of the results of its use as an anesthetic for Alzheimer's disease and other organic brain lesions, an epileptic disease. And until the end to explain what and how it works, the researchers can not yet.
On the other hand, as a doctor, I can cite other facts that simply smoke weed not medical at the level of pranks can lead to a catastrophe, that is, to irreversible mental disorders. I know of cases when children, went on grants to study abroad in the UK and Holland, came back with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Of course, not everyone goes crazy after smoking marijuana, which is why its legalization is an ambiguous issue. Therefore, I am very cautious about this topic, but I do not exclude the idea that if we can bring something new and useful for patients where we are helpless, with the same Alzheimer's disease, where there seems to be no progress in the next 50 years, then I think , worth trying. The only thing is that there should be a very tight control of patients by doctors, a limited circulation of such drugs and the legal responsibility of the doctors who prescribe them.
Tina Beradze , renowned psychiatrist, psychotherapist, medical psychologist, member of the Alumni Association of the Harvard University Medical School, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the international charity "Initiative for mental health believes that the decriminalization of medical marijuana we need.
Truth our society does not quite distinguish what medical marijuana is and what marijuana is, which is sold on the street. Chemically treated marijuana dominates the black market, for example, using formaldehyde, which enhances its effect and is addictive. And pure medical marijuana, which is decriminalized in many countries, is better than synthetic substitutes. We know that cannabis is primarily a good pain killer. It is also used in epilepsy, cataracts, post-traumatic syndrome. But my most painful place is cancer patients. I work a lot with such patients, and I know that oncology is in very bad condition. But medical cannabis can help them, in addition, recently the latest statistics appeared, 70% of women with breast cancer have a chance to be cured with medical cannabis, without chemotherapy.
But we still have that relic of the Soviet era, when everyone was afraid of psychologists, psychotherapists ... And the same can be said about medical cannabis - until society has an understanding of what it is , it will be difficult to convince him to accept it. Should you be afraid of addiction? It is like with good Georgian wine. One glass a couple of times a week will not do harm, but if you drink a whole box of wine, then the consequences are clear. The same can be said about medical cannabis. In terms of dependence, a legal drug is more dangerous than alcohol, which is alcohol at every turn. And by the way, alcoholism is not treated. A person can even be saved from heroin addiction, but completely rid him of alcohol - no ".
Yuri Pakin , head of the Center for Addictive Therapy, professor, MD, narcologist, says he is a categorical opponent of recreational marijuana legalization (for rest), but it supports legalization of medical. Many people need it, and the fact that its use is legalized in many countries testifies to its effectiveness. In general, the heavier drugs of the opium group - morphine, tramadol - have long been legalized in medicine. Therefore, it is logical that medical marijuana, which is considered light, can also be legalized.
Can it be harmful? Almost all medications have limitations on the dosage and duration of use, even vitamins. This also applies to marijuana - abuse can lead to addiction. Moreover, it gives a person a feeling of satisfaction, and this condition may cause a person to want to continue taking the drug. Therefore, access to such drugs should be limited and controlled. If you organize the sale of medical marijuana, but not provide tight control - this of course can create a threat. On the other hand, resistance to the legitimization of medical marijuana is also possible on the part of pharmacists, whose drugs can compete with it ".
Anastasia Lobazova , a psychologist-psychotherapist, a specialist in psychosomatics, spoke separately about the peculiarities of the perception of possible legitimization of medical marijuana by society.
"The problem of the perception by society of the use of cannabis in medicine is associated not so much with the plant itself, as with manipulative synonyms & quot; narcotic substance & quot; and & quot; dependency . Stereotypical thinking, helps us to make decisions in situations where we do not have time to analyze and study the essence of the issue, in this case it does not play in favor of the person himself. Unknowingly some suffer others - those for whom this is extremely important, because cannabis drugs are more effective and less toxic than many of those with which seriously ill patients are treated now.
When we hear about the legalization of marijuana in medicine, many imagine young people who, by false references, buy themselves that & laquo; weed & raquo ;. While we are talking about the dosage form (mainly tablets) with a specific active ingredient. It’s like comparing medicinal refined caffeine with caffeine in tea that we drink daily.
Informing and believing people by law is the only key that will help hundreds of thousands of oncology patients, people with epilepsy and diabetes, various disabilities of the brain and unbearable pain syndrome to get natural and effective treatment with minimal harm to health
President of the Association "Ukrainian Technical Hemp" Alexander Ignatyuk notes that Ukraine has already developed technical hemp varieties of therapeutic focus, therefore, with a positive decision on legalization, it will be important to develop our own production, and not to buy expensive imported drugs:
In Ukraine, there is an experience when, in & laquo; green mass & raquo; plants add appropriate conductors and catalysts, and the resulting substance, which excludes extraction (currently prohibited by law), is extremely effective in treating very serious, including chronic diseases.
Currently, there is no need to focus on amending the laws of Ukraine - this is a very long time. There is a much simpler and more effective way - making changes to the profile resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, in which it is necessary to allow the use of medicinal purposes for cannabis leaves and inflorescences, in which dried tetrahydrocannabinol content does not exceed 0.08 percent. Experience shows that PCMU is being reviewed and accepted within 4-5 months. In fact, in the case of the adoption of such changes since July 2019 citizens of our country, I can be treated with the help of green mass a technical therapeutic cannabis, and from April 2020, anyone who wants to can grow seedless varieties that have a significant therapeutic effect if they issue the necessary permits in such cases.