The N.H.G. (Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap) has advised not to prescribe medicinal cannabis for pain control, with the exception of palliative pain control. The N.H.G. received many reactions to this point of view and gave an explanation. This explanation includes :
“We have answered the question of whether cannabis works for pain by means of scientific literature research. The few studies that have been published so far do not show any clinically relevant effects. Moreover, the quality of the evidence is low and there is often circumstantial evidence, as usually other forms of cannabinoids have been used than are available in the Netherlands.
I wonder if the N.H.G. uses the same search techniques as the average Dutchman, since Google, in my search for scientific evidence of the effects of cannabis in pain relief, presents me with a list of scientific studies. It is clear that this list is a mixture of serious, scientifically and clinically substantiated research and vague alternative articles, but quite a lot of research has been done and so there is quite a lot of information about the use of cannabis in pain control, both scientifically, folklorically and fantasistically.
Also special; there are, apparently, forms of cannabinoids that are not available in the Netherlands. More than 500 different substances have been found in the plant. Some 100 substances belong to the group of cannabinoids. These cannabinoids are only found in the hemp plant. Another form of cannabinoids? I don’t know….
It smells a bit like lobby….
