Biographical note

Marijuana, botanically known as cannabis, has been around for thousands years. The medicinal and recreational uses of the cannabis have been known from the ancient times and marijuana was used as a legal form of the plant medicine till the1937-1941. Since that time, marijuana was included to the upper part (Schedule 1) of the list of controlled substances and its circulation (in any form) was announced as illegal and prohibited.

During the last decade some European (Holland, Spain, Germany, Austria), American (Canada, several States in the USA) and other countries (Israel), agreed to re-acknowledge the positive properties of marijuana and decriminalized it’s usage for some certain medical conditions/indications. Nevertheless, the wide (and growing!) spreading of cannabis consumption among the population, mostly for recreational purposes, enhances the demand for better definition between medicinal and other usage of various forms of cannabis. The international clinical and regulatory experience, accumulated in the countries, already established the Medical Cannabis/Marihuana Programs, should be carefully and systematically studied and critically assessed, in order to elaborate the better (in the means of the Quality Control and Accessibility) model(s) for the reducing of public stigma, proper education of the health care professionals and to promoting medicinal uses of the cannabis.

Based on my large clinical experience in this field, I will review (in short) the current Medical Cannabis/Marihuana Programs and will provide some suggestions and practical tips on wise (careful and safe) usage the Cannabis as a valuable Medical substance, especially for the patients with the various neuropsychiatric disorders.

The workshop will provide insight to whom treatment with cannabis should be suggested and to whom, probably, not.

Any health-related decisions should be made in partnership between the patient and the doctor. Both parties take steps to participate in the process of decision making. There is growing evidence that the public want more involvement in treatment decisions. Shared decisions may be harder to achieve when the patient is faced with a shocking, serious or life threatening diagnosis.During recent years, more and more clinical research affirms that cannabis can safely and effectively alleviate symptoms of serious and chronic medical conditions. Nevertheless, many patients, their relatives and caregivers are still hesitate, whether try is or not try a cannabis as a valuable remedy. They are routinely apply for this to their health care providers, but, unfortunately, despite all previous and, most important, recent achievements in this area, majority of physicians are unable to advise their patients anything clear and prefer to avoid or even ignore any discussion on this topic.

In contemporary patient-centered care, an individual’s specific health needs (including cannabis-based therapy) and desired health outcomes are the driving force behind all health care decisions. Facing the further ongoing and increasing progress in cannabinoid medicine, responsible clinicians should educate themselves in this are in order to be able to maintain professional dialog and to practice well-balanced comprehensive shared decision making with their patients upon their demands and even to initiate a cannabis-based treatment to suitable for it patients.