Thread by @drcaplan

1/ In the ongoing debate about the study of Cannabis Medicine, a German publication raises some points that deserve repeating.
The original (in German): bit.ly/2YVxDGL
A translation (Google Translated into English): bit.ly/2TXI3SQ

2/ "Often underappreciated, discussions of cannabis as a medication always include facets that go beyond the purely medical implications (psychological relief, interpersonal relaxation, improved coping, etc)"

3/ "It's common for interpretations of findings in the cannabis literature to extrapolate beyond the studied indications"

4/ "When Cannabis and non-cannabis medications are compared, the relative risks of both categories of medicines is an important consideration, and often not fairly addressed"

5/ "When cannabis-based drugs are deemed "not different from placebo" in controlled trials of medications with serious side effects, this is not subject to comparison, fairly, pitted against effective medications which have concerning side effects"

6/ "In systematic reviews, the statistical perspective is so widened that, in favor of a general statement, the individual, complex patient fate takes a back seat"

7/ "Meta-analyses rarely question the value of individual healing attempts, since the complex individual destiny is key for an individual therapy decision: It is precisely the clinical medical art to identify a therapy option from which the patient is most likely to benefit."

8/ "On the other hand, [the authors] warn against the uncritical use of cannabis-based drugs and the minimization of risks. The opioid epidemic in the US also began with case series and propagation of efficacy and safety by medical experts"

9/ "In a complex global economy with financial ties to industry and secondary motives, independence of study authors, and those who provide individual therapy recommendations is a matter of essential importance to a balanced discussion and cultural learning process"