Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease (MC), ulcerative colitis (CU), and some lesser-known forms, impose an immense burden on sufferers in terms of daily life and life satisfaction. The incidence of IBD is also steadily increasing, with the number of people affected worldwide rising from 3.7 million in 1990 to 6.8 million in […]
Cannabinoids for depression and anxiety
Clinical depression and anxiety disorders are among the most serious health problems worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about five percent of the world’s adult population suffers from depression – women are affected more frequently than men [1]. This number increases many times over if affected children and adolescents are included, as well […]
“Dosage forms must be chosen sensitively and individually”
Interview with pharmacist Alexander Daske (Part 2) In cannabis therapy, oral therapy and inhalative therapy via vaporizer are opposed to each other. Both dosage forms have different areas of application, and both have their justification – depending on the symptoms, patient status and therapy goal. Alexander Daske, cannabis expert and pharmacist at Collini Apotheke in […]
Cannabinoids for chronic pain
When physical pain won’t stop: According to the German Pain League, at least 23 million people in Germany suffer from chronic pain [1]. This makes pain disorders one of the most common, widespread diseases, along with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Even more concerning is the fact that a large proportion of pain patients receive inadequate […]
“We treat with cannabis not by indication, but by symptomatology”
Interview with pharmacist Alexander Daske (Part 1) Seriously ill people can benefit from Add-on therapy with cannabinoids: When concomitant symptoms improve, the quality of life of those affected increases. Some doctors have specialized in therapy with cannabinoids. But how do inexperienced physicians get started with this highly individualized therapy? What needs to be taken into […]
Full spectrum – therapeutic benefits
Medical cannabis contains more than 100 phytocannabinoids, the best known being the psychotropic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD). However, the more than 500 plant constituents also include other biologically active substances, especially terpenes and flavonoids. Numerous studies and experiences of many cannabis patients show that preparations from the whole cannabis plant, so-called full-spectrum […]
Raphael Mechoulam: The pioneer of medical cannabis
He is one of the greatest in pharmaceutical chemistry: Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam is considered the discoverer of the essential active ingredients of the cannabis plant and their chemical structures, as well as the functioning of the human endocannabinoid system. The researcher, now 91, looks back on an eventful life – personally and in his […]
Interview with a cannabis patient: “I was caught in a spiral”
A broken leg, an operation and then inexplicable, permanent pain and an immobile leg – Anna R. (name changed by the editors), suffers from CRPS, a pain syndrome that can occur after trauma. Although she tries different therapies and takes strong opiates, she can’t get rid of the pain. When a migraine is added to […]
Cannabinoids for sleep disorders
When counting sheep no longer helps: insomnia is a serious problem for many people. According to an evaluation by the german Barmer health insurance fund, the number of Germans suffering from problems falling asleep or sleeping through the night increased by 111 percent from 2005 to 2017 [1]. Moreover, according to a recent study from […]
Cannabinoids in Fibromyalgia
Chronic, strong to severe pain that often lasts for months and is difficult to classify – this is how fibromyalgia syndrome typically presents itself. The rheumatic disease causes pain in different parts of the body – mostly near joints and in muscles. Women are affected six to seven times more often than men. The disease […]