Legalisation of Cannabis use for adults in Germany: what the consumer need to know

Hello my dear Steemians,

From today on the new Cannabis Law is taken place to decriminalise possession of Cannabis. What is allowed:

• adults older than 18 years old allowed to posse 25g of cannabis in public and 50 at home for own use
• to grow max three plants at home for own use

There were a lot of discussion and arguments if that will do good or bad, but with majority of voices pro that Law was implemented.

From today Germany is the first country that legalising cannabis consume, until now it was allowed in the Netherlands in coffee shops but not in public.

Recently, we see many different medical conditions that been treated with medical cannabis, that means grown in special controlled conditions and for sale in pharmacies with prescription. But despite of that we still come across the fact that people smoking cannabis and sometimes growing at home even through it is illegal.

While announcing this new law the aim is to reduce the number of illegally grown and unknown purity of product but also to make it difficult to illegal sell.

As medical doctors we slowly seeing more and more conditions that are treated with cannabis or precisely with the chemical stuff that cannabis plant contain it is well known as THC or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, short version of it Tetrahydrocannabinol. One of the first field of medicine that started to use it is Oncology. Many oncological condition is associated with pain issues and patients require strong pain relief like morphine or oxycodone both of them strong pain relief and regular use can cause drug-addiction.

I came across many patients with oncological conditions who started using CBD oil (Cannabidiol) for pain management and they came off their oxycodone. There are some other conditions when patients been prescribes CBD oil:

• Multiple sclerosis for muscle pain and spasm
• some types of epilepsy with severe seizure attacks
• to treat nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy

As medical workers we starting to come across of long term side effects of Cannabis consume. It was the time when the number of young age patient started to be admitted with dehydration, abdominal pain and persistent vomiting.

Those patients were admitted either under medics with vomiting and dehydration or surgeons with abdominal pain and vomiting.

In surgical speciality we always think about acute abdominal pathology and in young patients need to exclude appendicitis. Often after performing few scans even up to CT scan of abdomen we could not find any surgical issues. Only later on when the history of patients were reviewed again and looked through it was obvious that all patients were consumers of Cannabis.

Nowadays we know that there is a direct connection between the symptoms and conditions called Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome

 
Link

As an example I wanted to share one story from my practice when a 16 y.o. boy was admitted with non-stop vomiting for 3 days and abdominal cramps, was not able even to keep water. He was referred by General Practitioner as possible acute abdomen. The boy was with his parents and they were concerned that he same symptoms required admission last year and despite of having all possible tests nothing was found.

When we speak to patients we collect patients history and in questionnaire, we always ask about smoking and drinking habits. The boy said that he does not smoke cigarettes but Cannabis on daily basis and for last 3 years. His parents were present and it seems like they were aware about that but not concerned. Just after all the tests were done, my suspicion was that his symptoms related to cannabis consume.

Many people know that cannabiod used for patients undergoing chemotherapy to treat Nausea that is why do not think that long term consumption without any symptoms and just for pleasure can affects intestinal tracts as both Brain and gut have the receptors that bind cannabiod.

The young boy had acute kidney injury due to vomiting, but responded very well to hydration and anti-sickness treatment and was discharged couple of days later. I have printed information leaflet for him and family and I hope that he will think about that and will change his behaviour.

To summarise that, I can only tell even though it is illegal in many countries but people still consuming cannabis even starting with teenager age. I think what needs to be done more education of people and explaining what they have to expect when using that without any medical condition and who knows that might put many off that.