The Medical Cannabis Revolution

Could cannabis someday supplant aspirin as the most widely used medication in the world?

With an estimated 263 million consumers globally in 2019, cannabis has achieved surprising success, especially considering that its potential medical uses have been largely driven by patients. Doctors and government agencies, relying on outdated research and entrenched stigmatism, remain out of step with the most recent changes in public opinion about using cannabis-related drugs to treat arthritis, anxiety, PTSD, glaucoma, chronic pain and similar conditions.

Despite a global market in excess of USD $344 billion that will stimulate growth in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, retail and agriculture, the U.S. has been slow to embrace the cannabis industry, allowing countries like Canada to take the lead and sending American investment dollars north of the border.

Elaine Carey, managing director and co-leader of FTI Consulting’s Cannabis practice, shares her thoughts about the current and future state of the cannabis industry in an editorial originally published in Cannabiz.

This is an extract from CannaBiz's The Medical Cannabis Revolution, first published in Fall/Winter 2019. The whole publication is available at https://cannabizsummit.world/magazine/#pastIssues

"Aspirin, the most widely used medication in the world, is facing a new and unlikely rival: cannabis. This historically stigmatized drug is now being touted as the new wonder treatment, despite being in the early stages of medical research.

The growing exuberance over the drug’s potential medical uses is driven largely by patients. Most governments remain out of step with the sea change in public opinion, particularly among those suffering from arthritis, anxiety, PTSD, glaucoma, chronic pain, and the like. Millions of people today self-medicate using some form of cannabis, with or without their doctor’s approval."