Turkish Government took a big step for the utilization of marijuana for medical purposes.
According to the Cumhuriyet’s news, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agencies, which belong to the Ministery of Health, put a new drug to the list of medications which can be imported. The name of this drug is tacit, but once the code of the drug is investigated the name “Sativex” emerges. Active ingredients of the drug are Tetrahydrocannabiol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) – THC and CBD are the major substances found in marijuana -. Sativex is an oromucosal sypray which contains THC and CBD as active ingredients. Although smoking marijuana for pleasure is strictly forbidden in Turkey, patients who had a red prescription for Sativex whereupon have a chance to import the medication from abroad as the drug is not produced in Turkey.
The two major ingredients of marijuana – Tetrahydrocannabiol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) – have been used to reduce the negative effects of chemotherapy such as loss of appetite, nausea and depression. Especially cancer patients have been facilitating from the cannabinoids (drugs contain chemicals taken from marijuana).