What is medical cannabis?

Medical cannabis is a basically versatile possible therapy option. The reason for this is the different concentration as well as the variety of its different ingredients.

Medicinal cannabis is obtained from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa L.. Especially the flowers of the female plants are rich in valuable natural substances. A total of about 500 different ingredients are known. These include terpenes and more than 100 cannabinoids. The two most important cannabinoids are THC (Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol).

Medicinal cannabis can be rich in THC, CBD or a combination of both, depending on the variety. There are thousands of different variations. They can be based on Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, Cannabis ruderalis or their hybrids. There are currently discussions as to whether C. indica and C. ruderalis are subspecies of C. sativa or own species with different growth behaviour and cannabinoid concentrations.

Cannabis strains with a high Sativa content are more invigorating and euphoric, while those with a high Indica content are more relaxing and sedative. These different proportions may be important for the choice of the appropriate variety as a therapeutic option. Medical cannabis is cultivated, harvested, processed and analysed under strictly controlled conditions to guarantee high quality for the patient. Further information on medical cannabis can be found in our FAQs.