Dual Diagnosis

Biography

Biography: Thersilla Oberbarnscheidt

Abstract

Cannabis has been used in medicine for thousands of years for various medical conditions. Over the last decade it is increasingly getting used in the treatment of chronic pain. Cannabis has been shown to have some positive efficacy in the reduction of pain as an adjunct in therapy combined with opioids. Clinical studies published are mostly small in number and solely for neuropathic pain. Most studies that showed a clinical benefit were short in duration. Longer-term studies for more than 4 weeks have reported psychosis in the patients with percentages ranging from 36.3% to even 80%. Most patients report a long list of side effects associated with the use of cannabis. Symptoms reported are memory problems, problems with motor coordination and impaired judgment and more serious medical problems like cancer or cardiac ischemia.