Last Updated on June 3, 2020 by Maxwell Harris
What types of medication with CBD can you get in Europe?
Today, there are two options for prescribing cannabis medication in Europe
The first is the drug Sativex, which is a spray used in the oral cavity. The spray is used to treat multiple sclerosis spasms. Only specialists in neurology can prescribe this medication for patients with multiple sclerosis. Sativex contains cannabis extract from naturally grown hemp and is an approved drug in many European countries since 2012.
The second type is a drug containing synthetic cannabinoids. Marinol has not yet been approved in some European countries, such as Sweden, but it is possible for doctors to apply for a prescription for patients, even if Marinol is not approved. If the physician is allowed to give this to a patient, the drug is imported from the USA, for example. Since 2002, 62 licenses have been granted in Sweden, including four in 2014. Only cancer and AIDS patients are allowed to use the drug.
How is CBD oil produced?
The way CBD oil is produced is by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant. When you do this you get an oily texture that contains CBD, but there can also be other cannabinoids in the oil, however, this depends on what the plant profile looks like and what extraction method was used. CBD is known to contain certain health and anti-inflammatory properties.
Quick facts about CBD
CBD is an abbreviation for cannabidiol. But what is cannabidiol? You can almost guess it. Cannabidiol is a term for oils containing extracts of active substances from cannabis plants. It is also called hemp, but you cannot compare CBD oil with hemp seed oil. The difference between these two types of oils is that the hemp oil only uses seeds that contain vanishingly small amounts of active substances compared to the mature cannabis plant used for the CBD oil. In principle, however, the substances extracted from the cannabis plant can be extracted and added to the hemp oil, which can then be poured into bottles or capsules for consumption. Hemp seed oil is also mostly used for cooking.
Although hemp oil and cannabis oil are derived from the same plant, they are not the same.
CBD is one of the most prominent substances found in the active substances in the hemp plant.
CBD oil is available in many different versions. What you need to be aware of when buying the oil are the active substances. Either the oil may contain pure CBD or it may contain a mixture of two substances; THC and CBD. However, the latter is not legal in Europe, as it can have a euphoric effect.
In addition, CBD oil is known to have a beneficial effect on many different heath conditions. The oil is more concentrated than raw cannabis products. Cannabis is therefore also the most well-used for medical use. The oil should not be smoked, but CBD often comes as a cream or other sticky substance. Currently on the market, CBD is available in many forms such as oil, capsules, crystals, cbd e-liquids and chewing gum.
Considering buying CBD online? Read our dedicated CBD buyer’s guide first!
Cannabis oil is widely known among patients who use it as an alternative to regular medicine. Many patients experience a much greater healing effect with the CBD oil, while they experience far fewer side effects than they would otherwise have received from their usual drugs.
Although many experts recommend CBD oil and more and more success stories among patients are heard, many medical organisations have been skeptical about the oil. It has been widely debated in Sweden whether CBD oil should be classified as a drug as opposed to the dietary supplement it is currently classified. With the many prejudices about cannabis that exist, the debate may get even longer and sweatier.
Sources
- Information on Obtaining Sativex® | GW Pharmaceuticals, plc. (2020). Retrieved 14 April 2020, from https://www.gwpharm.co.uk/healthcare-professionals/sativex/prescribing-information
- Sinha, MD, S. (2019). Marinol: Drug Uses, Dosage & Side Effects – Drugs.com. Retrieved 14 April 2020, from https://www.drugs.com/marinol.html
- Ledgerwood, C. J., et al. “Cannabidiol inhibits synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal cultures and slices via multiple receptor pathways.” British journal of pharmacology 162.1 (2011): 286-294.