Cannabis use, both recreational and as medicine is proliferating worldwide. It's reasonable to ask why people are using cannabis and who are appropriate candidates for cannabis therapy. The answers to this questions began to appear in print in Chinese literature thousands of years ago.  The uses for cannabis continue to expand as more is learned about the roles of these molecules in our bodies. 

Even as punitive laws prohibit the use of cannabis most people will find a need and use for it during their lifetime.  It is neither addictive nor associated with a significant withdrawal syndrome, so it is easy to come and go from using it.  Some people shouldn't go without cannabis and others may never find the need for cannabis therapy. 

As a medicine it is useful to know the basic principles of cannabinoid therapy. This includes a basic understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the endocannabinoid system, ECS, the roles of the ECS, the immense safety of cannabis as it articulates with, and augments the beneficial functions of the ECS, differences in the ECS from person to person, differences in the breakdown or metabolism of cannabis molecules in humans, what we know about the treasure trove of medicinal molecules in the cannabis plant, and finally how all of this information can lead to developing a rational treatment plan for the use of cannabis.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognizing the candidates for cannabis therapy
• Understanding the basic principles in cannabis therapy