Cannabis pain patients hope for cannabidiol (CBD)

According to Vaclav Wenzel Cerveny from the Cannabis Federation of Bavaria, cannabis as a medicinal remedy is the cause of many a hype: cannabidiol (CBD), which, depending on the cannabis strain, is more or less concentrated and should relieve pain. "CBD has potential," says Cerveny, who hosts Germany's only hemp trade fair from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12, 2015. In the Zenith exhibition hall, 50 exhibitors from seven nations will be presenting all facets of the versatile plant on around 5,000 square meters - be it as a building material, medical device or culinary ingredient. "Hemp as a medicinal remedy" is the main topic on the second day of the fair. 15,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day trade fair, congress and music festival event.

The substances of the cannabis plant could help millions of patients. On the stronger demand for hemp as a remedy the cannabis federation Bavaria reacted also own draft of the Bavarian hemp law (BayHanfG). According to Clause 2, every citizen of the Free State "has a right to adequate supply of cannabinoid medicine from natural, not genetically modified hemp flowers". The decision to prescribe hemp products for medical purposes is up to the patient and his doctor alone, says Cerveny.

Cannabidiol is one of 70 constituents of the hemp plant and like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) a psychoactive cannabinoid and mainly a noise-inducing component of the hemp plant (cannabis). Depending on the hemp variety, the concentration of the substance in the female inflorescences varies. CBD is said to have a broad spectrum of medical effects without users feeling "stoned" or "high". Medically, it has anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic and nausea. Cannabis could reduce the need for other painkillers. Further pharmacological effects are being researched.

Clinical trials see CBD as a treatment option for a variety of conditions including epilepsy, Tourette's syndrome, arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, antibiotic-resistant infections, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and other neurological disorders. A low CBD concentration seems more stimulating according to medical experts, whereas a high CBD concentration seems rather reassuring.

In Israel, according to a recent SPIEGEL report, more than 20,000 patients receive cannabis medicines. There, the mission has established itself. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, 403 patients in Germany are allowed to take medical cannabis. Only a hemp-based drug is approved. With the exception of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), seriously ill patients may also purchase cannabis flowers or extracts from pharmacies.

Chronically ill pain patients who need cannabis for relief, may be advised by investigators due to the current law. Cannabis supplements in pharmacies are expensive. The costs are usually not covered by the statutory health insurance. If patients decide to grow their own hemp plants, they may face a preliminary investigation. "Politicians need to clarify things quickly," says Cerveny.

Hemp as a remedy focus on the second day of the fair
The second CannabisXXL fair day on Saturday, 11th July 2015, is under the thematic focus "Hemp as a remedy". At 12.30 pm, Torsten Hergestell, Deputy Commissioner of the "Yes to Cannabis" referendum and hemp activist for ten years, will give the lecture "Hemp as medicine". From 1.30pm to 3.30pm, doctors, search experts, and patients with a cannabis waiver will discuss. At 3.30 pm, Daniel Cappiello (Endoca) gives a lecture in English on CBD oil. At 4.30 pm, Christoph Rossner, a search expert for the Pirate Party, talks about "the dangers of the black market / mixed consumption". : NicoLeHe