The following is the executive summary from the Health Council of the Netherlands, Standing Committee on Medicine. Marihuana as medicine. Rijswijk: Health Council of the Netherlands, 1996; publication no. 1996/21.
On 26 August, 1996, the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport requested the health Council of the Netherlands to inform her, as soon as possible, about the scientific evidence concerning the medical use of marihuana and its active components (annex A). The response to the Ministers request is embodied in the present report, which was drawn up by the Standing Committee on Medicine (see annex B), hereafter referred to as 'the Committee'.
Marihuana has been known for several thousand years in herbal medicine. Its active substances are the cannabinoids, especially tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Over the years, Cannabis sativa, as the herb is officially known, has been claimed to increase appetite, relax the muscles, sharpen the mind, improve mood, have a sedative effect, ease fear, and combat pain and nausea. The literature cites dozens of ailments and disorders that have allegedly responded to treatment with marihuana. With the emergence of standardized medications, the medical use of marihuana sank into obscurity.
During the Sixties, the increasingly widespread use of marihuana as a stimulant was accompanied by a burgeoning interest in its medicinal properties. During this period, synthetic preparations of marihuanas active substances (such as THC) were developed. While marihuana is usually smoked, it is also traditionally added to certain foods or drinks (marihuana tea). The THC content of marihuana preparations varies from 0,5% to 15,0%. Outside the Netherlands, two synthetic cannabinoids are marketed as medications: dronabinol (THC) in the United States (Marinol) and nabilone in the United Kingdom (Cesamet).
A study of the literature highlights four applications for which marihuana and cannabinoids in particular are alleged to be effective:
Furthermore, with regard to marihuana, the Committee believes that physicians cannot accept responsibility for a product of unknown composition that has not been subjected to quality control. This is not restricted to smoking, but also applies to other forms of consumption, such as tea. As with alcohol and tobacco, the Committee feels the patients themselves must bear full responsibility if they wish to consume marihuana ( in whatever form) because it makes them feel better. The Committee is presently unable to respond to the Ministers request for a comparison between the use of marihuana, or any other preparations of the hemp plant, and the active ingredient delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or other components, since there are no published reports of systematic research on this topic.