Ten reasons to consider cannabinoids in everyday clinical practice

Abstract

Medical cannabis is attracting more and more interest among both patients and healthcare professionals. Despite the long history of using this plant for medicinal purposes, the current approach to medicine, which is primarily based on facts, forces us to take a scientific approach in the selection of products and substances from the cannabinoid group. More and more scientific and clinical studies are providing evidence of their effectiveness. Clinical trials with small groups of patients as well as case reports show the benefits of medical cannabis, while larger trials often do not confirm clear improvement compared to other available treatments. Both physicians and their patients need to know in which indications clinical benefits are possible and whether the proposed therapy is safe. Only after analysing the patient’s history, interviewing and examining, in a highly individualized and detailed manner (including relative and absolute contraindications) can cannabinoid therapy be considered. They are more often used as an addition to basic and standard therapy, which can improve its effectiveness. Less frequently we choose cannabinoids as drugs of the first choice used in monotherapy. The article aims to present 10 reasons why cannabinoids are worth considering for use in everyday clinical practice and to prepare practitioners to answer the questions most asked by patients.