Therapeutic effect of cannabis

Perhaps the best known use of cannabis in a therapeutic setting is as an analgesic in the management of cancer pain, post-operative and phantom limb pain. Cannabinoids have also been used in the prevention of nausea and vomiting caused by anticancer drugs and to stimulate appetite in palliative care for anorexia caused by opioids, antiviral drugs, AIDS-related illnesses or terminal cancer. Other effects include a bronchodilator effect on the small airways of the lungs and an ability to decrease intraocular pressure. It is paradoxical that cannabinoids have been reported to be of therapeutic value in neurological disorders associated with spasticity, ataxia and muscle weakness because similar symptoms can be caused by cannabis itself.

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References

Anaesthesia 2001;56:1059–1068.