Hamburg (dts) - The Hamburg addiction doctor Rainer Thomasius fears that the administration of cannabis for medical purposes, which has been permitted since 2017, will expand to the detriment of many patients. Cannabis liberalization is increasing the trend, Thomasius told the news magazine Focus.
“I expect that doctors will prescribe cannabis active ingredients for more and more indications, similar to what they have done for years with benzodiazepines,” said the psychiatrist from Eppendorf University Hospital. Benzodiazepine medications are primarily intended to relieve anxiety, but are often taken too long to fall asleep. They can be addictive.
Something similar happened in Israel with cannabis, which was also given to nursing home residents there. This leads to more falls. According to Thomasius, the medically proven effect is limited to cancer pain, cramps and loss of appetite in AIDS. Instead, according to information from Focus, individual cannabis importers are now advertising their product against sleep disorders and by saying that it has a “unique aroma profile”.
