Does marijuana have a future in pharmacopoeia?

Its Latin name in botanical classification is Cannabis sativa L. but most people know it as marijuana, grass, pot, dope or weed, mainly when referring to its recreational use. Recently, this green plant, which grows up to five metres, has acquired a new name: ‘the aspirin of the new century’, reflecting hopes that cannabis could be used to treat a variety of ailments, ranging from migraine to cancer (Baker et al ., 2003). By discovering how the active ingredients of the plant exert their effect on the human metabolism, scientists think that cannabis could have great potential for the development of new drugs. But whether or not the beneficial effects of marijuana are further supported by biomedical research, those counting on them will nevertheless have to face the legal aspects of using the drug in their countries. Indeed, the negative aspects of the plant, mainly the risk of addiction, are the reasons why most countries have outlawed the growth, possession and consumption of cannabis. The debate about the health benefits of cannabis is thus lost in a bitter clash between authorities that enforce strict laws against its use and proponents pushing for its legalization.The many beneficial aspects of cannabis are not a new discovery—the plant has a long tradition in medicine that originated in oriental and Middle Eastern countries. The Chinese documented its medicinal value more than 4,000 years ago, using seeds, leaves and sap as sedatives or painkillers and to treat fevers, nausea and ulcers. Ancient herbalists made unguents for burns and other wounds from its roots. Galen, and other physicians of the classical and Hellenistic eras, also noted cannabis as a remedy, and the Arabs started using the plant as early as the mid‐1200s. Although there is evidence of cannabis use in Europe from the thirteenth century, after …