[420 Girl]

Over the last two decades or so, there has been a remarkable renewal of interest in the therapeuticuse of cannabis across Europe, despite the fact that governments have enacted a series of restrictive laws to rein in its use, according to a new research.

"The new momentum can be traced back to the mid 1980's when research brought about a better understanding of the effects of this substance on the brain, leading to the creation of a series of cannabis-based medicines," according to John Witton, a leading researcher on the subject.

Patients are increasingly becoming convinced of its positive effects, said the researcher while writing in the collection of scientific knowledge on cannabis published on Thursday by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

"Following the discovery of tetrahydrocannabinols in 1964 and that of cannabino receivers located in the brain in 1988, a window of new opportunities was opened," said Witton, who has been studying the subject for decades.

"Over the past two decades, great efforts were made to establish the usefulness of cannabis in the field of medicine," said the EMCDDA report. "However, the role played by cannabis in medicine today is very modest compared to the past and there is need for further research."

Writing in the report, Manfred Fankhauser, another leading researcher, noted that hashish, a cannabis resin, was first introduced in Europe in the 18th century, going on to "play an important role in the domain of medicine before arriving in the United States in the late 19th century."

"It was being used to relieve pain, particularly migraines, but also in cases of asthma, insomnia, rheumatism, cholera, tetanus orconvulsions," said the EMCDDA researcher.

French psychiatrist Jacques Joseph Moreau de Tours, who lived between 1804 and 1884, recommended the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes to his clients, including the celebrated poet Theophile Gauthier.

In the mid-20th century, with spectacular advances in medicine and then a global prohibition of cannabis, the product disappeared from pharmacies across Europe, said Fankhauser.

"The European legislation in this area remains very severe and only a few countries have begun to try to relax the ban," according to Witton.

Thus since September 2003, one is able to buy cannabis in pharmacy with a prescription in the Netherlands, nevertheless, only a few cannabis-derived drugs have been officially approved in Europe or the United States so far.

However, there are cannabis-based drugs such as Dronabinol and Marinol which are notably prescribed to patients with cancer or HIV/AIDS. Pharmaceutical companies are very motivated by this promising global market estimated at 700 million dollars.

"As for patients, they are turning increasingly to self-medication when it comes to the use of cannabis," according to the EMCDDA report.

"Over the past 30 years, many people, usually law-abiding, have found themselves in conflict with the legislative systems of their countries owing to the use of cannabis for largely individual purposes," said Witton.

This is particularly true for people who are suffering from depression, multiple sclerosis, migraines, or eating disorders that are associated with certain cancers, according to the researcher, who said that "the world will have to find a way to allow the use of cannabis but in a regulated manner."

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