By Tony O’Riley-
Regulators have approved Scotland’s first ever medicinal cannabis clinic.
Stirling’s Sapphire Medical Clinics has been authorised by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to provide safe access to medical cannabis to Scottish patients, and is offering virtual appointments from today and will be offering face-to-face consultations when coronavirus restrictions allow it.
The central belt surgery will now be the first to operate its clinic, which will be based in Aberdeen.
In November 2018, medical cannabis was legalised in the UK to allow doctors to prescribe it in certain situations, but it will be the first time a medical clinic in which cannabis is used for medical purposes is opened in Scotland.
Cannabis-based medicines can be used for a vast range of conditions, including arthritis, anxiety and epilepsy.
It can also be prescribed to patients whom have tried standard treatments with little relief of their symptoms, or where traditional medicine is providing relief but with an unsustainable level of side effects.
Its Scottish clinic will be located in Allan Park, Stirling, although it was initially planning to open in Aberdeen first.
The Function Of Medical Marijuana
Medical marijuana uses the marijuana plant or chemicals in it to treat diseases or conditions. It’s basically the same product as recreational marijuana, but it’s taken for medical purposes.
The marijuana plant contains more than 100 different chemicals called cannabinoids. Each one has a different effect on the body. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the main chemicals used in medicine. THC also produces the “high” people feel when they smoke marijuana or eat foods containing it.
Two thirds of U.S States and the District of Columbia have already approved medical cannabis, and use it treat a number of conditions including:
They include Alzheimer’s disease, Appetite loss, Cancer, Crohn’s disease
Diseases effecting the immune system like HIV/AIDS or Multiple Sclerosis
Eating disorders such as anorexia, Epilepsy, Glaucoma
Mental health conditions like schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder
“The greatest amount of evidence for the therapeutic effects of cannabis relate to its ability to reduce chronic pain, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and spasticity [tight or stiff muscles] from MS,” Bonn-Miller says.
Cannabinoids, which are the active chemicals in medical marijuana, are similar to chemicals the body makes that are involved in appetite, memory, movement, and pain.
Cannabis Uses
Cannabis can be used in different ways. It can be eaten, consumed through a vaporizer which turns it into a mist, or applied to your skin in a lotion, spray, oil, or cream
Consuming cannabis through eating can take 1 to 2 hours to experience the effects from edible products.”
Some of the side effects of medical marijuana includes bloodshot eyes, depression, dizziness, fast heart beats
The drug can also affect judgment and coordination, which could lead to accidents and injuries.
Marijuana contains some of the same chemicals found in tobacco, leading to the conclusion that smoking it could harm the lungs.
There is also some evidence that marijuana might increase the risk for bronchitis and other lung problems.
However, many people who have faith in the medical benefits of cannabis will will be pleased with the news.