15/10/2024

Cannabis, from narcotic to medicine

Herb, hemp, kaya, marijuana, hashish, joint, ganja, press, joint, paranga, diamba, juanita. All over the world, there are many ways to refer to cannabis. Species of the plant have accompanied humans for thousands of years and gained prominence in the popular imagination as a symbol of hippie culture between the late 1960s and the 1970s. It was also once a commodity due to its vast industrial potential and is now beginning to lead a revolution in health.

Cannabis is native to Asia and is among humanity’s first agricultural crops. It has been used in China for at least 8,500 years. Hemp arrived in Europe between 2000 and 1000 BC. It arrived in South America, brought by Spanish colonizers, in 1545, and was cultivated for the first time on North American soil in the early 1600s. Until the beginning of the 20th century, cannabis was essential to the world economy, due to the fibers used in the production of ropes and sails for ships. It ended up losing ground after the Industrial Revolution, with the modernization of techniques and the advent of steam ships.

Later, throughout the 20th century, it was worshipped for decades due to its narcotic potential. Between ups and downs, it was at the center of several controversies and was the target of government rhetoric around the world.

However, the more than 100 cannabinoids identified in the plant, including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), open up horizons for cannabis to be a protagonist in the 21st century. This time, it is promoting an important transformation in medicine, representing the hope of a better quality of life for more than 1 billion people worldwide. After all, we all have a cannabinoid system that acts as a receptor for the components of cannabis-based medicines, in a natural affinity connection.

This purpose for cannabis is not new. In the late 19th century, doctors were exploring the medicinal potential of plants. Now, the rise of regulatory frameworks in several countries is being driven by people’s perception that cannabis can be a universal medicine. There are already 40 countries with regulations for medicinal cannabis, and this is not happening by chance.

Growing scientific evidence points to the plant’s numerous benefits for medicine, from its therapeutic application in cases of multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic neuropathic pain, epilepsy and convulsive disorders. Good results have also been recorded in the treatment of symptoms such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, sleep disorders, anxiety, weight loss in HIV patients, as well as characteristics caused by cancer and motor neuron diseases.

This means that the trends surrounding medicinal cannabis transcend mere fads or any specific lifestyle. Cannabinoids such as CBD, THC or any other are essential ingredients for medications for patients struggling to improve their quality of life. In other words, society needs to unite around the consensus that this is, above all, a medical issue, with an increasing demand for support from clinical data and scientific research. This should be the guiding principle of any regulation.

For the cannabis production chain, these scientific findings could not have come at a more opportune time, as we are experiencing an exponential growth in society’s concern for health and well-being. First, the medicinal application of cannabis can help countries’ health systems reduce costs. Furthermore, when considering their spending priorities, companies and families are investing more to maintain a healthy body and mind.

And I have some information for those who still think that the market focused on recreational consumption may be more attractive. People who buy dried flower for recreational use spend, on average, US$25, compared to an average of US$250 for purchases by a patient who uses cannabis-based medicines. I also remember that, in many cases, this therapeutic indication is for continued use.

Another fundamental point is the more favorable scenario for the development and evolution of the medicinal applications of cannabis. And it all starts with production, advancing both in large-scale models and in the trend of smaller-scale cultivation, designed to achieve specific results, whether in operational control, in the adoption of new techniques or in a specialized product of higher quality.

The direct consequence of the increase in production is the availability of better flowers and extracts. In this way, we have an expansion of the catalog of cannabinoids, going far beyond CBD and THC. At the same time, there is a gradual improvement in the volume of information on how these substances interact with the endocannabinoid system of the human body.

The virtuous cycle is completed with significant growth in the global market as of 2020. This movement is driven by Canada, which is rapidly expanding, which already has a presence in the cannabis industry its largest generator of jobs. There are also US states where regulations already exist. Another example is the German market, one of the most profitable in the world, which is expected to double in size in the next 12 months.

The fact is that several countries are moving quickly towards legalizing cannabis production and its use for medicinal purposes. Obviously, the countries that get ahead will have an easier path to position themselves well in this extremely promising market.

Considering only CBD, present in non-psychoactive products, demand increases sales to consumers, totaling US$ 2.1 billion this year. The global medical cannabis market as a whole is not far behind and is expected to generate US$ 54.6 billion by 2023. A real treat for investors and pharmaceutical companies.

With new sources of funding for research and development of more products for the medicinal area, including chronic diseases, public acceptance will follow the evolution of the market and projections may become even better. And what about Brazil? Ah, Brazil is taking its first timid steps in regulating medicinal use, but it has immense potential, with opportunities for both cannabis cultivation and the creation of scientific research and drug development centers, essential for democratizing access to products.

The time to turn the key is now, because, as the song says: ‘waiting is not knowing, those who know make the time, they don’t wait for it to happen’.

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