This section of WoahStork Learn will focus on drugs made from cannabinoids (i.e. cannabis pharmaceuticals). Often developed by pharmaceutical companies that also make non-plant-based medicine, cannabis pharmaceuticals are quickly becoming mainstream. These drugs offer a safe and easily accessible way for the masses to gain access to cannabis medicine.
However, these pharmaceuticals have an inherent flaw. Cannabinoids are typically most effective when in the presence of other cannabinoids and terpenes that are found in the naturally occurring cannabis plant — a phenomenon known as the entourage effect.
While the entourage effect is responsible for the vast array of medical benefits seen by cannabis users, it also means that isolated cannabinoids might actually not be as effective. Unfortunately, most clinical studies and cannabis-based pharmaceuticals are made from just one cannabinoid (mainly THC or CBD). Thus, many of the clinical studies showing that cannabis was not effective for a particular medical ailment are not necessarily definitive; more studies that actually use all the cannabinoids and terpenes found in the whole cannabinoid plant would need to be conducted.
If you have had any success with cannabis pharmaceuticals or were involved in a study that used them, please send an email to nicco@woahstork.com with the subject line “Cannabis Pharmaceuticals Blog” and we’ll see if we can share your insights on WoahStork Learn!
