Medical cannabis is very trendy right now. Although there is a body of research proving that medical marijuana could be useful in treating a variety of conditions, scientists are still not sure about some possible side effects. Researchers from the University of Aberdeen now have revealed a new method, showing which patients can benefit from medical cannabis the most.

Medical marijuana could be used for treating a variety of conditions from addictions and depression to chronic pain and obesity. However, scientists are worried about some potential adverse side effects, such as depression and psychosis. Current studies have shown that these effects are rather rare, but there is no way of predicting who will suffer from them and who is going to benefit from medical marijuana at all. But now scientists turned to genes to figure it out.

Researchers used DNA sequencing, CRISPR technology to study specific areas of the gene responsible for cannabis receptors in the brain. Scientists performed tests with mouse models and found that there are genetic switched that did not change much in hundreds of millions of years. If this switch is disturbed, alcohol intake is reduced, but the effectiveness of cannabis also goes down. The best part about this is that scientists now think that this switch does not prevent people from experiencing positive effects of medical cannabis. Instead, it can lead to therapies that would increase its effectiveness while also helping avoiding the possibility of adverse side effects.

Roger Pertwee, one of the authors of the study, said: “By starting to look at the effects of genetic changes on the switches that turn genes on and off in specific cells and at specific times, instead of changes in the genes themselves, we can begin to understand how drug side effects arise in different patient groups and focus treatment using these drugs on those who would most benefit”.

Another study showed that around 20 % of people have a genetic change in that genetic switch, which could make them more susceptible to adverse side effects of medical marijuana. However, these side effects are typically rare and avoidable. If they were more common, people would not use so much marijuana for recreation. On the other hand, scientists much ensure that all medical procedures and therapies are safe and will not cause more harm than good.

Medical marijuana is becoming legal in more and more countries around the world. This could be a good thing, but self-medicating is still not the best of ideas. Science has to establish when marijuana is beneficial and safe to use. We also need guidelines explaining how people with different conditions can use it.

Source: University of Aberdeen