Utrecht, the Netherlands–(ENEWSPF)–June 12, 2014. The majority of patients prescribed cannabis in the Netherlands report experiencing therapeutic relief from the plant, regardless of which strain they consume, according to survey data published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Investigators at the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction assessed patients’ therapeutic satisfaction with pharmaceutical-grade cannabis and compared the subjective effects of various strains of the plant. One hundred and two patients participated in the study. Subjects consumed one of three differing types of cannabis dispensed by the Netherlands Office of Medicinal Cannabis. Strains used in the study were either high (19 percent) in THC, low (12 percent) in THC, or contained relatively equal percentages of both THC and cannabidiol.
Patients reported relatively equal satisfaction from cannabis across strains. Subjects also consumed approximately equal doses of cannabis, regardless of THC or CBD content. Patients’ subjective feelings of anxiety, appetite, and/or feelings of dejection were most influenced by the type of cannabis used.
Researchers concluded: “The current study presents some new insights into the reported therapeutic effects of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis by a relevant group of patients. The results indicate that medicinal cannabis offers therapeutic relief for various conditions, many of which are characterized by chronic pain. Therapeutic satisfaction was independent of which strain of medicinal cannabis was used.”
They added: “Interestingly, the pharmacologic composition of the different strains available affected the extent of different subjective (adverse) effects, with a high-THC/low-CBD product leading to more appetite stimulation but also to feelings of dejection and anxiety in comparison with a low-THC/high-CBD product. The results of this study may aid medical practitioners and patients alike in selecting which strain of pharmaceutical cannabis could be most suited for their particular condition.”
Full text of the study, “Therapeutic satisfaction and subjective effects of different strains of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis,” appears in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Source: http://norml.org
