Use of Cannabis for medicinal purposes: benefits and damnages

Abstract

Cannabis sativa, popularly known as marijuana, is surrounded by benefits and harms to human health. In the contemporary context, this has generated several controversies, since it is classified as psychotropic. In other words, it is one of the substances that acts on the brain, changing the way the individual feels, thinks and often acts. But currently, the possibility of its therapeutic use in serious diseases is being analyzed, and better studies are needed to understand how it works in the body. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in some diseases, without forgetting the possible harm caused by its irregular use. For this, a systematic review of the literature was carried out, having as inclusion criteria files of a scientific nature, which presented relationships with the therapeutic applications of Cannabis. For this purpose, a time frame between 2017 and 2021 was adopted, which addressed the scientific evidence on the topic in question. Studies indicate that in the scientific sphere there is a perception of evidence of therapeutic benefits of cannabis with regard to its use in different pathologies. However, the lack of information, and advanced research regarding its therapeutic efficacy, correct dose, duration of treatment, and therapeutic risk; are the main reasons for resistance to its legalization and use for medicinal purposes.