Therapeutic Use of Cannabis in Palliative Care

To begin with, what is palliative care? According to the World Health Organization palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing a range of life-threatening conditions by preventing and alleviating suffering through early and impeccable assessment, treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems.

It is estimated that there are approximately 40 million people worldwide requiring palliative care annually, due to the aging of the population and the rise of chronic and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, there is a greater need to address palliative care by raising awareness, improving health regulations, training healthcare providers and integrating it into the healthcare system.

That is why in recent years the medical approach to such terminal illnesses and although most of them have no cure, medical cannabis gives the benefit of improving the quality of life of patients and alleviating the adverse effects that in many cases are so severe that they cause patients to abandon treatments.

In this ebook, we explore the topic of the therapeutic use of cannabis in palliative care, we start with the history of palliative care and its characteristics, you will learn about the endocannabinoid system and its distribution in the body, its receptors and all the wonderful homeostatic - physiological functions it performs in our body, as well as phytocannabinoids and their effects. By discovering this, you will be able to understand the role of the endocannabinoid system in pain management, the routes of administration and its dosage. Similarly, the pathophysiological benefits of cannabis in HIV/AIDS, cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, acting as a neuropathic analgesic, neuroprotective, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiemetic, and appetite stimulant, as a therapeutic alternative for the management and control of these diseases are demonstrated.

If you are interested in learning more about the incredible medical cannabis and how it can improve the symptoms and quality of life of patients suffering from terminal diseases, we invite you to enjoy this ebook that Pharmacology University brings to you.