Short Commentry
Imran Malik
Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance worldwide and the prevalence of users continues to increase. Over the last 2 decades, the world has seen significant changes regarding cannabis for recreational use as well as application of its use as a therapeutic medicine. This is likely to have influenced the decreasing perception of risks associated with the use of cannabis. Cannabis however is not benign and depending on the pattern of its use, can incur a range of harmful effects, which have implications when prescribing medicinal cannabinoids for individuals. Cannabis based products have been suggested for a variety of medical conditions as there is now evidence of medicinal benefit for some cannabis derived products in certain medical conditions for some patients. However, the challenge is with the lack of clarity over the definition of cannabis derived medicinal products and general public’s perception of the new evidence and generalisation of it notwithstanding the adverse effects of cannabis on mental health.