Medical cannabis has been gaining increasing popularity globally for the past few decades. With a significant amount of success stories and groundbreaking studies supporting its benefits, the global fascination with cannabis and its effect on human health is no surprise.
But is medical cannabis really a form of natural or alternative medicine, and what does that even mean? To answer these questions and find out their implications, we must first lay some groundwork.
What is Natural Medicine?
Natural medicine is an alternate form of healthcare that uses natural remedies to improve medical conditions. Unlike conventional medicine which typically relies on invasive procedures and employs man-made products, natural medicine exploits the medical benefits of natural products like plants, minerals, and other naturally occurring medicines to support the body’s natural healing process.
What is Alternative Medicine?
It is important to note that while alternative medicine and natural medicine are terms that are often used interchangeably, they are not the same team. This is because though natural medicine is a form of alternative medicine, not all alternative medicine is natural medicine.
Basically, alternative medicine is the umbrella term for the broad range of medical practices that are outside of conventional Western medicine. These include medical practices and therapies that utilize non-conventional approaches for the promotion of health and wellness. This includes, but is not limited to, medical medicine.
Now that you know what the terms natural and alternative medicine mean, let’s answer the big question.
Is Medical Cannabis a Form of Natural or Alternative Medicine?
Yes, medical cannabis is a form of alternative medicine, and since it makes use of natural products—marijuana—it does fall under the natural medicine category. However, there is a bit of nuance worth mentioning here.
With medical cannabis becoming increasingly legal globally, and with scientific studies on its benefits showing increasing promise, this alternative form of medicine is starting to slowly make its way into the mainstream. In the US for example, some cannabis-based products are beginning to gain mainstream popularity for treating medical conditions. Cannabis-based drugs like Epidyolex for treating epilepsy in children and Sativex for multiple sclerosis have already received NHS approval and can now be medically prescribed for the treatment of these medical conditions. This moves these drugs from the realm of alternative medicine to the realm of conventional medicine.
Now this might leave you with a different question:
Where Does Medical Cannabis Really Fall?
Well, it all depends on the context. If you reside in a region like the US or UK where medical cannabis products have been approved by the leading medical authorities, then it is conventional medicine. If you reside in a region where medical cannabis is permitted but not necessarily approved for medical treatment by the leading medical institutions, then it qualifies as alternative medicine.
As for differentiating between alternative and natural medicine, if your medical cannabis treatment uses raw medical plants or employs cannabis products that utilize more natural forms of cannabis, then that qualifies as natural medicine. If your medical cannabis treatment utilizes medical cannabis products that are more processed or synthetically derived, however, then alternative medicine would be the more appropriate term.
Conclusion
In essence, medical cannabis is a form of alternative medicine, but depending on the popular consensus in your region, it may even be considered conventional medicine. It all depends on what the law and the leading medical authorities say about it. However, regardless of where it falls under, as long as medical cannabis is legal in your region and you get a prescription from a Colombian medical cannabis doctor, then you should be fine using medical cannabis.
