Medical marijuana

Medical marijuana or medical cannabis refers to the use of cannabis or derivatives of cannabis plants to treat medical illnesses or reduce symptoms. Medical marijuana typically contains both CBD and THC, which are two of the many biologically active substances found in cannabis. CBD, which is not intoxicating or addictive, can also be produced from hemp plants, and is often marketed as CBD oil and sold legally as a without needing a perscription.

Evidence
A review by Whiting et al. (2015) found moderate evidence that medical use of cannabis can help with chronic pain, but this review did not look at pain in ME/CFS.

Limited evidence is available for the use of cannabis or medical marijuana in people with fibromyalgia.

Notable studies

 * 2009, Cannabidiol targets mitochondria to regulate intracellular Ca2+ levels.


 * 2011, Cannabis Use in Patients with Fibromyalgia: Effect on Symptoms Relief and Health-Related Quality of Life
 * 2015, Cannabinoids for medical use: A systematic review
 * 2016, Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Pilot Study.
 * 2019, An experimental randomized study on the analgesic effects of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis in chronic pain patients with fibromyalgia

Learn more

 * Cannabinoids for medical use: A systematic review