Key Issue Biological Approach

Should cannabis-based medicines be made more readily available to the public

The key issue is whether cannabis-based medicines should be made more readily available to the public. Currently, cannabis is used as medication for many illnesses including pain relief for MS (Multiple Sclerosis) patients. In many countries including Canada, Germany, Spain and Italy the use of cannabis as a medicine is legal, but is this having a damaging effect on the health of users? Two recent studies have shown that heavy use of cannabis is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. Medical professionals are concerned about people who use cannabis for a long period of time putting themselves at risk of developing this mental illness. Furthermore, prolonged cannabis use has been linked to damage in certain areas of the brain which can affect emotional behaviours. The issue is whether the benefits of such medicines outweigh the health risks associated with prolonged use.

Explain the issue using concepts from the biological approach

The first concept from the biological approach that may be used to explain the risks of using cannabis as a medicine is the results of brain scans to show damage to areas of the human brain. Images from MRI scans show how those given the cannabis compound THC had significantly reduced activity in the frontal lobe – a part of the brain responsible for co-ordination and emotional behaviour. Therefore, this highlights a serious health risk of potential brain damage as a consequence of using cannabis. Furthermore, using scans of the lungs of cannabis users, there is evidence to suggest that smoking cannabis can cause significant damage to the lung tissue.

A second concept from the biological approach relating to the use of cannabis as a medicine is how neurotransmitters are affected by the drug and could lead to memory disruption.  Experiments on animal and human tissue have demonstrated a disruption of short-term memory formation, Cannabinoids inhibit the release of several neurotransmitters in the hippocampus, like acetylcholine and norepinephrine resulting in a major decrease in neuronal activity in that region. This decrease in activity could lead to the blocking of cellular processes that are associated with memory formation.

One final concept from the biological approach that may be applied to explain the health risks of using Cannabis-based medicine is that the increased production of dopamine (a neurotransmitter) may be a possible cause of schizophrenia. The chemical THC in cannabis causes an increase in the production of dopamine and inhibits dopamine reuptake in the synaptic gap; as a result with prolonged usage of cannabis psychosis results from an overactivity of dopamine function in the brain. Evidence suggests that individuals who regularly use cannabis are twice as likely to develop psychosis than individuals who do not use cannabis.

To conclude, patients who are considering using cannabis-based medicines should beware that there are health risks associated with prolonged use of cannabis including damage to areas of the brain, memory disruption and the possibility of developing schizophrenia. However, some individuals such as patients with MS see the benefits of the medicine in alleviating symptoms such as muscular pain and sleep disturbance as outweighing the possible health risks.