Arguably, the Cannabis plant is one of the most stigmatized floras in the world. According to Isaac Campos, author of the book entitled Home Grown, the plant’s stigmatisation first started in Mexico. He writes that it was first introduced to Mexico by Pedro Quadrado, a conquistador, and it was initially considered as a strong fibre.
However, people soon began to use the plant as a drug and by the 18th century, cannabis was soon linked to indigenous traditions as an ingredient for divine rituals. Due to its psychoactive effects, it has since been branded as a drug that causes madness and violence. Fortunately, research has shown that the cannabis plant is anything but evil, and one CBD oil New Zealand study suggests that the plant’s good side outshines the bad press.
A Study that Shines Light on the Good
Plenty of New Zealand researchers voiced out concerns regarding the lack of data on the effects cannabis have to its medicinal users. Further researches and studies have been launched to further verify its helpfulness in the field of medicine, and one study seems to have a promising tale to tell.
GP Graham Gulbransen’s medicinal clinic in Auckland partnered with the University of Auckland, as part of the University’s joint study, to assess 400 people and have them self-report any changes in their quality of life, including side effects, from before and after getting treatment. The treatment involves taking the CBD (short for Cannabidiol) oil for 4 weeks. Cannabidiol is one of cannabis’ main substances, which does not have psychoactive effects compared to its cousin, THC (short for Tetrahydrocannabinol).
The Results Look Promising
After 4 weeks, 250 of the original 400 patients actually rated their results, and 70% of them reported to have experienced good, very good, or excellent benefits from using CBD. Bruce Arroll, professor and lead author of the study says “The findings are consistent with other evidence and underline the need for more research to allow us to fully realise the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis.”
Dr. Arroll adds that the findings on the CBD oil New Zealand study were well-tolerated in most patients, along with some folks who would like to have access to the study and even self-fund the medication. He does note, however, that since the results were self-reported by the patients themselves, it’d be impossible for the study’s author to know whether the placebo effect was factored in or not.
Enough to Officially Legalise Medicinal Cannabis?
Though the legal status of medicinal cannabis here in New Zealand seems already obvious, there is still a referendum that people will be voting on in the coming 2020 elections. The study would certainly be helpful information to aid people in realising that cannabis isn’t really the evil drug we first thought it was.
The CBD oil New Zealand study makes one thing crystal clear: there are a lot of things in this world that we need to understand better, instead of just outright demonising it for no apparent reason. Dr. Erik Messamore, a psychiatrist at Northeast Ohia Medical University said it best during his interview with TVNZ1’s Breakfast “If cannabis is secret and forbidden and in the shadows, then people who love it will tell everybody how much they love it and that's all you hear. If it's out in the open, we can know about its risks.”