Cannabis – From Illegal Drug to Medical Panacea

Cannabis is classified as a so-called “soft” drug which potentially lowers the inhibition threshold for consuming “hard” drugs like heroin or cocaine. Possession of cannabis was prohibited worldwide in 1925 but today, limited consumption is legal in various countries, for example Canada, the Czech Republic or Israel. Uruguay was the first country to legalize the sale, cultivation, and distribution of cannabis in 2013. As the benefits of cannabis for medical treatment have been proven by several studies1, many countries have started the process of legalizing the use of cannabis under strictly regimented conditions. In 29 states of the USA, the purchase of cannabis for medical reasons has been allowed since 2016, one year later it was also legalized in Germany.