Here are some basic facts. Medicinal cannabis has been available in the Czech Republic since 2013 and its distribution is currently regulated by Decree 235/2015 Sb (1). The decree defines the maximum amount of cannabis per person and per month per 180 g, as well as the obligation to issue a prescription using eRecept, and in the appendices you will find possible indications for the prescription and the necessary specialization of doctors.
Annex n.1 to this Decree also establishes the content of active substances in hemp, namely 0.3-21% for THC and 0.1-19% for CBD.
High THC and low CBD
According to a report by SAKL (State Agency for the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes) dated June 22, 2018, Czech hemp is currently available in the Czech Republic from Elkoplast Slušovice sro (2)
This medical hemp has an active ingredient content of 19% THC and 0.1% CBD! Which, in our opinion, is not quite ideal. The high THC content and low CBD content make hemp a very psychoactive material that can surprise even many experienced users with its strength of effects.
While CBD acts on CB1 and CB2 receptors in tissues and the nervous system, preventing their activation and thereby reducing overall body stress, THC acts primarily in the brain, namely the hippocampus, cerebellum, and basal ganglia, where it acts similarly. neurotransmitter – a carrier of nerve signals and thereby activates these centers.
THC has unwanted side effects
The effects of THC in the brain are associated with known side effects such as anxiety, fear, panic, and paranoia. (3), which probably every cannabis user has encountered.
And just the same high content of THC in medical cannabis can easily lead to these conditions.
SAKL, in its guide to the use of medical cannabis (4), states that “the speed of action is very individual and depends on the sensitivity of the patient”. This is true, of course, however, I can still imagine how, for example, a 60-year-old man who was prescribed medical cannabis for pain by a doctor vaporizes this cannabis with 19% THC and 0.1% CBD for the first time in his life.
Those states of panic and anxiety that will come after the first few minutes of “drunk” really will not bring anything pleasant with them. The psychoactive effects of cannabis are simply undesirable for a large number of patients, especially if the patients have no experience with cannabis use at all.
CBD Minimizes the Adverse Effects of THC
Years of cannabis research and studies have shown that CBD counteracts these unwanted effects of THC (5), and therefore withThe content of CBD in medical cannabis is extremely important for therapeutic purposes.
THC and CBD support each other in their effects, and this is confirmed by our practical experience. Ideally, the ratio of THC to CBD in medical cannabis should be 1:1. For example, 10% THC and 10% CBD. Unfortunately, in currently available hemp, the ratio of THC to CBD is extremely unbalanced: 190:1 – 19% THC and 0.1% CBD.
In our opinion, this is a major challenge for the expansion of currently available medical cannabis, as patients may experience very strong unwanted psychotic effects when using it.
The Solution in CBD Oil Supplementation
A possible solution is to supplement medical cannabis with CBD oils that will deliver the missing CBD factor into a therapy that works against the unwanted effects of THC on the psyche. And in the future – the expansion of the supply of medical hemp with a more balanced ratio of THC and CBD.
Author: Ing. Ondřej Šťovíček, Managing Director of Cannadorra
Sources:
- https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/2015-236
- http://www.sakl.cz/footer/archiv-novinek/ceske-konopi-pro-lecebne-pouziti-je-pacientum-opet-dostupne
- https://science.howstuffworks.com/marijuana4.htm
- http://www.sakl.cz/assets/user/PDF/Informa%C4%8Dn%C3%AD%20bro%C5%BEura%20pro%20pacienty.pdf
- https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/can-cbd-undo-the-anxious-side-effects-of-thc
