Greek media and social media posts are describing the “cannabis drug” in a positive way, citing research data with “excellent results”.
A study conducted by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that studies on the benefits of cannabis for pain relief are received positively, regardless of their results, and scientists warn citizens against false expectations. As the researchers report in an article published in the journal JAMA Network open, cannabis, as a pain reliever, is about as effective as a placebo, i.e. nowhere near as effective.
“We see that cannabis research is often described in the media in an overwhelmingly positive way, regardless of its results,” says Philip Geddin, author of the study. “This is problematic and may affect patient expectations regarding the effect of cannabis treatment as a pain reliever. We see that the greater the perceived benefit of treatment, the more tolerant the citizen is of potential harm from the drug“.
The study is based on an analysis of 20 previous scientific papers that have studied the action cannabis and compared it with a placebo. A total of 1,500 volunteers took part in the study. Thus, it was found that there is no difference (in pain reduction) between cannabis and placebo, which was also proved by data from another recent study.
The bottom line is that the general public should be wary of claims of “miraculous healing” with cannabis.
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