The hemp/ cannabis plant and its well-known molecule, CBD , are frequently mentioned as alternative solutions for complex conditions that are difficult to treat effectively with conventional therapies. Research in this field is progressing, despite the numerous challenges it faces. We invite you to explore the related experiments and scientific advancements.
The summary
Thought-provoking testimonies!
Let's begin by examining the accounts that reveal the situations of some patients suffering from complex illnesses. These accounts also highlight the urgent need to explore all possible solutions so that fewer and fewer patients succumb to their illnesses.
Franck Milone, 29, suffers from multiple sclerosis. His quality of life is similar to that of many patients with the same condition. However, he refuses to accept his fate. In fact, he has found a way to improve his quality of life by ingesting cannabis flowers. Convinced of the plant's therapeutic properties, he plans to delve deeper into the subject. To this end, Franck has created a laboratory called La Fleur (The Flower) within his company, Delled. Following its creation, he has set himself a very specific goal: to market cannabis-based medications by 2024. This could be a major opportunity for many patients to find a cure, or at the very least, it would allow them to have a much better quality of life. It's worth noting that he is not alone in this endeavor. Christian D. Muller, a CNRS researcher at the Hubert Curien Multidisciplinary Institute (IPHC), is also involved. We expect proposed solutions in the coming years.
Still in the realm of testimonies, Christian D recounts the circumstances of his nephew's death in 2016. Let's read on.
"He suffered from lymphoma and was taking CBD oil drops to relieve the side effects of his treatment and restore his appetite. Having witnessed the beneficial effects of taking medicinal hemp , I naturally replaced him after his death within the UFCM I Care association, whose scientific value I had been able to verify."
Furthermore, following the death of his nephew, Christian became interested in the lesser-known habits of patients suffering from complex illnesses like his late nephew. In this regard, he stated that:
“During an appointment with people suffering from multiple sclerosis, shingles, or other illnesses, I asked them how they managed to cope. They replied, ‘I make my hemp oil .’ When I saw these patients forced to produce their own medicine, I knew something had to be done.”
In the same vein, Bertrand tells us about his daily life as an HIV patient and emphasizes that cannabis has been a great help to him. Let's read on.
“Every morning, I would experience vomiting and stomach spasms; sometimes for an hour I would suffer horribly, then I couldn’t eat or sleep. When I tried cannabis in 2013, it helped. I talked to my medical team about it, and they eventually prescribed it to me.”
Furthermore, he remains critical of his country's legislation on medical cannabis. In this vein, he states that:
"We continue to prescribe medical cannabis as a last resort. This means that we prescribe morphine more readily than cannabis. This rule has no medical justification; it is purely ideological."
Ideas and research on cannabis/hemp-based treatments
Indeed, the first point we can mention here is the collaboration between Frank Milone and Christian Kelhetter. The latter is proposing that the former testCBD oil on cancer cells in vitro. Milone plans to fund the research, which is primarily focused on a notoriously aggressive cancer that significantly reduces patients' life expectancy: pancreatic cancer. We are eagerly awaiting further developments in this research. However, the next step is already known. The researchers intend to begin in vivo testing on mice genetically selected to spontaneously develop pancreatic cancer. If the results are promising, Frank Milone hopes to launch a human trial as early as 2022. Christian D. then spoke.
“We have shown that hemp extract does not replace therapy but can be used as a complement. CBD restores appetite, reduces the effects of chemotherapy, and has no side effects. Unlike opiates, it does not present any pharmacological dependence. Unfortunately, I think that in France, the pharmaceutical industry is not yet ready.”.
Then he clarifies.
"It has already been demonstrated in vitro that crude cannabis flower extract is more effective than cannabidiol (CBD) alone. A quantity 20 times greater of CBD alone is needed for the same effectiveness as with crude cannabis flower extract.".
In addition to the in vitro tests mentioned earlier, a medical cannabis experimentation program has recently been launched. This program also targets diseases requiring effective treatments with minimal side effects for patients. Christian D. Muller offers his perspective on this.
"There are 3,000 patients who will be able to benefit from this, whereas it is estimated that 100 times that number will be used by people who self-medicate with medicinal hemp."
These testimonies and research clearly show that the medical cannabis is constantly evolving. Many researchers are dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to developing cannabis-based treatments that can help patients who need them. Especially since some doctors are gradually coming around to their side. This is the case with Anny, a general practitioner. She laments the fact that patients have to travel hundreds of kilometers to another country to access medical cannabis. She adds that these patients:
"They risk losing several hundred euros worth of goods at customs because it's illegal, because there are no loopholes for cannabis. French law is still unable to be nuanced on the subject, but it seems to be evolving."
Finally, it should be noted that she reportedly prescribed therapeutic cannabis for anxiety, insomnia, hyperactivity and attention disorders, neurological pain, muscle spasms, tremors, such as in multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, discomforts related to chemotherapy, etc.
References
- https://recherche.unistra.fr/actualites-recherche/actualites-de-la-recherche/chanvre-therapeutique-lindustrie-pharmaceutique-accuse-un-certain-retard
- https://www.rue89strasbourg.com/filiere-alsacienne-legalisation-cannabis-therapeutique-204115
Co-founder of CBD.fr
Julien Cordobes is the editor of CBD.fr. Born in 1978 in the Paris region, he first trained in e-commerce before turning to natural health approaches, a dual perspective that now structures his way of writing about cannabidiol: reading the scientific literature as it is, without hardening the conclusions, and presenting it in a language that everyone understands.
He discovered CBD at a time when the French market was developing faster than the information available to it. He acquired CBD.fr in 2022 and then took on editorial responsibility for the blog. Since then, he has published numerous articles covering the daily use of CBD, the interpretation of laboratory analyses, the evolution of the legal framework, and precautions for use.
