It is an understatement to point out that the therapeutic application of cannabis (marijuana) is attracting substantial public and clinical interest. Although the primary interest so far has been on THC and CBD, the plant produces more than 100 different cannabinoids and has been referred to as a veritable “treasure trove”.
Other metabolites called terpenes are presumed to contribute synergistically to the positive therapeutic benefits of THC and CBD, and this is referred to as the “entourage effect”. This simply means that using the whole plant seems to be more beneficial than using any of the individual components on their own.
In spite of this acknowledgment, the authors of this study go on to praise the idea of ultimately altering and modifying the plant to create pharmaceutical pills from that “treasure trove” of natural chemistry. You have to wonder at their logic. (Oh, wait, it’s about the money.)
At least for now, medical marijuana is specifically defined as the use of the whole plant or its basic extracts without any chemical manipulations which would alter your natural medicine.
