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Medical marijuana refers to the use of parts of the cannabis plant or synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids as a physician-recommended form of medicine. The cannabis plant has been known to have medicinal use as an analgesic, appetite stimulant, antiemetic, muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant agent. A number of clinical studies, some disputed, claim that cannabinoids present an interesting therapeutic potential as antiemetics, appetite stimulants in debilitating diseases (cancer and AIDS) and analgesics, and in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy and glaucoma.
Despite its illegality, patients have continued to obtain cannabis on the black market for self-medication for its self reported anti-anxiety or antidepressant effects. A survey of 3,000 patients in California from 1993-2000 revealed about 27% of individuals used it primarily for psychiatric conditions such as as an antidepressant or anxiolytic.
Understanding the mechanisms of action of cannabinoids has revived therapeutic interest in these substances. However, clinical studies about the use of cannabis for psychiatric conditions are very limited. Further clinical trials, well-designed, carefully executed, and powered for efficacy, are essential to clearly define the role of cannabinoids in the treatment of psychiatric conditions.