Supporters of its therapeutic use defend the qualities of certain plant compounds while scientists call for more studies to support the treatment
Analgesic, anticonvulsant, antineuroprotective, antioxidative properties… Supporters of the use of cannabis as a therapeutic method promote the qualities of certain compounds of this plant, whose consumption could serve as a natural remedy against arthritis or epilepsyamong other diseases, such as defend different scientific studies. Another possible benefit would be to relieve anxiety or stress. even help us To fall asleepalthough in this case its efficacy has not been proven and experts are asking for more scientific evidence to support its use in this field.
But, Is cannabis a potential ally at bedtime? The key is not so much in the plant itself, but in a specific compound: the CBD or cannabidiol. It is a non-intoxicating active ingredient from the hemp plant that, unlike the famous THC or tetrahydrocannabinolIt is not a psychoactive substance. Thus, in addition to eliminating the risk of addiction, it would produce a sensation of general well-being without actually intoxicating the body.
Its defenders assure that CBD is a completely safe compound, of which no known harmful side effects. The only thing that emerges from very early scientific studies on the subject is that this substance could cause dry mouth, low blood pressure, lightheadedness or drowsinesskey to certain products that help sleep.
However, there are still no conclusive results. This is what the doctor says Carlos Aegeapresident of the Spanish Federation of Sleep Medicine (Fesmes), who defends that it is better to wait for the times of science. “Are needed more studies to endorse the treatment. Since we are academics and there is no scientific evidence, it is better to wait. When there is enough documentation to consider it a real scientific breakthrough, we will introduce it,” he says.
Faced with drug treatment to treat insomnia, a problem that affects about 15% of the Spanish population, Egea bets in the short term for the cognitive behavioral therapy and the “sleep hygiene”with basic measures such as going to bed at the same time, not staying up late or not having a copious dinner.
legal situation
CBD has a difficult legal lace, since there is no law that regulates its use and consumption in Spain and therefore it is governed by the Single Geneva Convention of 1961 on Narcotic Drugs, where cannabidiol was not penalized, unlike THC. The High Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) published a sentence in 2020 which stated that “a Member State may not prohibit the commercialization of cannabidiol legally produced in another Member State if it is extracted from the plant cannabis sativa in its entirety and not only its fibers and seeds”.
Despite this, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) It has not been approved for use as a drug, so it cannot be marketed as such. However, in recent years in Spain, CBD-based products have emerged that are sold legally in stores and online. Of course, its use is only authorized as a cosmetic product, not to be smoked or ingested.
legislative paralysis
The perception among Spanish society is increasingly permissive towards marijuana and its derivatives, especially among the youngest. According to a study by the FAD Foundation, seven out of ten respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 believe that frequent cannabis use is less harmful than regular consumption of alcohol or tobacco. And, as usually happens, the social discussion of the subject precedes the legislative one.
The political debate around the consumption permit has been ongoing in recent years. In it Congress of Deputies the partners of the Government and the PSOE clash over the total legalization of its consumption, but the possibility of expanding the sale of cannabis and derivative products by therapeutic reasons He makes his way in most games.
In July 2022, the Health and Consumer Commission approved an opinion that urged to regularize the medicinal use of the products cannabis and gave the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) a period of six months to publish a report that would help the legislature create a rule that would allow “the availability in the pharmaceutical market of extracts or standardized preparations of cannabis” .
Asked in his first intervention in Congress, the new Minister of Health, Jose Manuel Minones, assured that the Aemps continues with the elaboration of said document. “The information is insufficient and we cannot recommend its use, so we must go hand in hand with scientific evidence and thus be able to ensure that benefit-risk balance so that it is positive,” said the politician. More than three months after the scheduled date, the text still has not arrived and the issue does not appear to be addressed in the present legislature.