Can Cannabis Oil Be Legally Used As An Effective Medication? Here¡¯s Here¡¯s What You Should Know

Cannabis has been making headlines off late for it¡¯s potential health benefits that stretch far beyond infamous recognition as a premature stimulant that can get you ¡®high¡¯. Cannabis-based medication (such as cannabis oils) has been quite a revelation that has been brought into light by those who have experienced its miraculous effects.

The most recent episode of a 12-year-old British boy, Billy Caldwell, with severe epilepsy who was seized of his cannabis oil, which his mother claims he needs to prevent the seizures from occurring, has coerced the UK government into reviewing the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

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The oil prescribed for him was confiscated by the authorities at the Heathrow airport as his mother Charlotte was attempting to bring the oil into the UK from Canada. His mother Ms. Caldwell credits the oil for keeping her son¡¯s seizures at bay. She claims he was seizure-free for more than 300 days while using it.

Its funny how the UK Home Office will only make an "ethical" move to allow Billy Caldwell the oil he needs when he is close to death. People like this child don't use the extract for the fun of it, its a matter of life and death!#billycaldwell

¡ª Canapa. (@CanapaCBD) June 16, 2018

Surely, on humanitarian grounds alone, Billy Caldwell (12yrs old) should not have had his Cannabis oil confiscated by the Home Office. He is now in danger of losing his life.

¡ª David_Suchet (@David_Suchet) June 16, 2018

Ms. Caldwell said at a news conference: "I will just go back to Canada and get more and I will bring it back again, because my son has a right to have his anti-epileptic medication in his country, in his own home.¡± ¡°No other family should have to go through this sort of ordeal¡ªtravelling halfway round the world to get medicine that should be freely available to our desperately ill children.¡±

News that the Home Office has agreed to return Billy Caldwell's medical cannabis oil is victory for compassion & common sense and down to tireless work of his mother Charlotte, medical team & the army of campaigners
This cannot be allowed to happen again. The law must be changed

¡ª John Stewart (@JohnStewart1983) June 16, 2018

Not only have incidents such as these hastened the research for the legalisation of cannabis but also spurred a lot of interest for cannabis-based drugs amongst the masses.

One of the most renowned cases in the recent past was of a 52-year-old woman named Joy Smith, who was given just six weeks to live when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer in August 2016.

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Nearly two years later, her doctors who described Ms Smith as the ¡®luckiest woman in the world¡¯ has left them in shock because the consistent use of cannabis oil has not only helped her survive but also left only a trace of the disease in her stomach.

¡°I was a bit sceptical about the oil at first as I'd never taken drugs or anything like that¡ªbut I know I would not be here today without it. I want to tell everybody,¡± says Ms Smith, reported the Daily Mail, UK.

Joy Smith was given 6 weeks to live after being diagnosed with ovarian, stomach and bowel cancer in August last year. Here she reveals why she feels cannabis oil is curing her disease. Do you think it should be legalised for medicinal purposes? pic.twitter.com/9wW6o2SeNI

¡ª This Morning (@thismorning) March 13, 2018

This is joys twitter for her personal updates on her finished journey battening cancer , appearing on tv and many more . If you have any questions make sure to DM us privately we will try to get back to you as soon as possible

¡ª joy smith (@joysmithlife) June 22, 2018

Such success stories has preempted not just the UK government but governments across the world over to look to legalise cannabis-based treatments a viable form of treatment for various conditions.

So, what is cannabis oil all about?

Extracted from the cannabis plant Cannabis Sativa, its medicinal properties have been documented as far 3,000 years ago. China was possibly one of the early adopters of this medicine, along with the Egyptians.

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The high you get from cannabis is from one of the main psychoactive substance, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Cannabidiol (CBD) the other major compound in marijuana doesn¡¯t have any psychoactive effect, however. Both THC and CBD act on the receptors in the body that affect your memory, pain and appetite. Although cannabis does contain hundreds of other substances, these substances are in lower concentrations that make them irrelevant.

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No, cannabis oil is not likely to make you high.

Although it really depends of the level of THC. Most oils legally sold oils contain very low quantities of THC. In fact, most of these oils are CBD-based and are highly unlikely to get anyone stoned.

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Especially hemp-based cannabis oil that contain very little THC (less that even 0.2%) that are widely available in high-street stores.

Cannabis has proven itself effective in treating a whole host of health conditions

¡°Different cannabinoids can have a wide range of different effects throughout the body by binding to the body¡¯s various receptors. Based on thousands of recent scientific studies, there is reason to believe it may have a number of very positive therapeutic effects, from reduced pain and inflammation to the treatment of seizures and other neurological disorders,¡± said Rory Millikin, co-founder and president of cannabisMD.com, a media company focused on providing information on CBD and medical marijuana.

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Cannabis oil have been touted for it¡¯s ability to help promote sleep, boost your appetite, reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Additionally, application on the skin has brought to light its anti-ageing properties, protection from eczema and psoriasis.

Are they legal?

The question of legality is a complicated one that is being addressed by governments across the world hastily, as mounting evidence of the effectiveness of marijuana-based medication have begin to surface frequently.

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In the UK for instance, cannabis oils containing CBD is legal and can be purchased without a prescription because of its low concentration of THC containing .2% or lesser. Cannabis oils containing THC levels of more than .3% are considered illegal. Billy¡¯s cannabis oil, for instance, contained higher than permissible levels of THC, which is why it was confiscated.

The US still considers cannabidiol a ¡®schedule 1 controlled substance¡¯, which is to say that they are considered to have no medicinal value. As a result, can only be legally sold is state where the use of cannabis has been legalised (think California).

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You can get access to high-quality CBD in Canada as well, so long as it¡¯s within the stipulate THC levels of .3%. In fact, Canada may attract ardent pot heads in the future as those over the age of 18 might be able to legally possess, grow and purchase cannabis once their new national policy takes affect nationwide in October.

Cannabis allowed for medicinal use is also allowed in countries, such as the Czech Republic, Romania and Chile. Your best bet would be to source it from a country where it is legal¡ªcarting it back to your own country is, of course, a whole other issue.

Most recently in a monumental decision by the FDA a cannabis-based medication has been approved to treat two types of epilepsy¡¯s

BREAKING: FDA APPROVES ONE KIND OF CBD DRUG -Epidiolex- for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy.
This is good! We need more FDA approved medications to help people. Science - not ideology - should guide effortshttps://t.co/U7cAaBO35U

¡ª Kevin Sabet (@KevinSabet) June 25, 2018

The FDA has approved the first prescription drug made from marijuana, a milestone that could spur more research into a drug that remains illegal under federal law, despite growing legalisation for recreational and medical use.

The drug¡¯s approval permits its use in patients aged two years and older with Dravet Syndrome(DS) and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), rare childhood-onset forms of epilepsy that are among the most resistant to treatment.

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Epidiolex, is the first cannabis-based drug that has gotten an approval by the stringent US Food and Drug Administration

Epidiolex, an epilepsy drug that treats these two types of epileptic symptoms is all set to become the first cannabis-based medicine to be sold officially.

.@SGottliebFD release on Epidiolex approval is about way way more than just this drug. he's making a clear statement about how medical marijuana products shoudl be evaluated, approved and marketed.

¡ª Sarah Karlin-Smith (@SarahKarlin) June 25, 2018

"This is an important medical advance," FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement on Monday. "Because of the adequate and well-controlled clinical studies that supported this approval, prescribers can have confidence in the drug's uniform strength and consistent delivery."

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¡°This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies,¡± adds Gottlieb.