By Dr. Lih Vitória, Biomedical Scientist

On April 7th, we celebrate World Health Day, a date established in 1948 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to encourage reflection and action toward improving global health. It is a call for critical evaluation of public health strategies and therapeutic innovations shaping contemporary medicine.

Over the past decades, population health challenges have grown more complex. Mental disorders, chronic diseases, persistent pain, and neurodegenerative conditions demand integrative, evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Medical cannabis has emerged as a safe and effective alternative, particularly for patients who are refractory to conventional pharmacological treatments.

According to the WHO, Brazil has the highest prevalence of anxiety disorders in the world, affecting about 9.3% of the population. Moreover, depression, which impacts nearly 300 million people globally, continues to place a heavy burden on healthcare systems. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified this scenario, with a 25% increase in anxiety and depression rates in 2020.

In this alarming context, cannabis has stood out as a high clinical-value therapeutic tool, with anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties well documented in the scientific literature. Numerous studies show that cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabigerol (CBG) interact with the endocannabinoid system, a vital physiological axis involved in regulating mood, sleep, pain, and overall homeostasis.

Conditions such as refractory epilepsy, neuropathic pain, cerebral palsy spasticity, PTSD, sleep disorders, and anxiety disorders have demonstrated significant clinical improvement with individualized and supervised use of medical cannabis. The safety and efficacy of these treatments, when overseen by specialized medical teams, are paving new paths for a personalized approach to medicine.

The recognition of cannabis’s role in healthcare also reflects the ethical and scientific evolution of public policies. By becoming part of the World Health Day debate, cannabis moves beyond being a controversial subject and becomes a legitimate patient-centered care strategy. The rehabilitation of its therapeutic use symbolizes the advancement of a more integrative, less stigmatized, and more population-centered medicine.

However, it is essential to reinforce that medical cannabis requires individualized prescription, rigorous medical follow-up, and strict pharmaceutical quality control of the products used. Self-medication, besides being dangerous, may compromise the therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids.

On this World Health Day, Bcure reaffirms its commitment to science, therapeutic innovation, and the promotion of integrative, evidence-based, and accessible healthcare. We believe that cannabis represents not just a valuable pharmacological tool, but also a turning point in the transformation of contemporary healthcare paradigms.

 World Health Day: A Date for Reflection and Innovation
Celebrated on April 7th since 1948, World Health Day reinforces the importance of evidence-based public and therapeutic strategies to address the challenges of modern medicine.

 Mental Health Alert: Brazil Leads in Anxiety Disorders
With 9.3% of the population affected by anxiety disorders, Brazil tops the global ranking, according to the WHO. The pandemic worsened this scenario, with a 25% increase in anxiety and depression in 2020.

Medical Cannabis: Science in Support of Health
With anxiolytic, analgesic, anticonvulsant, and anti-inflammatory properties, cannabis is emerging as an effective therapeutic tool, especially for cases unresponsive to conventional medicine.

Cannabinoids and the Endocannabinoid System
Molecules like CBD, THC, CBN, and CBG act on the endocannabinoid system, regulating essential functions like pain, sleep, mood, and inflammation—promoting physiological balance (homeostasis).

 Integrative and Personalized Medicine with Cannabis
Conditions such as PTSD, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and sleep disorders have shown significant clinical improvement with supervised cannabis use—marking a new paradigm in individualized medicine.

References

• MATTOS, Leda Ulson. DIA MUNDIAL DE SAÚDE. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, v. 20, n. 1, p. 3-4, 1986.
• PEREIRA, Bruno Viana et al. Avaliação do conhecimento populacional no Dia Mundial da Saúde. Revista Ciência em Extensão, v. 16, p. 235-242, 2020.
• Thompson MD, Martin RC, Grayson LP, et al. Cognitive function and adaptive skills after a one-year trial of cannabidiol (CBD) in a pediatric sample with treatment-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2020;111:107299. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107299
• Collin C, Davies P, Mutiboko IK, Ratcliffe S; Sativex Spasticity in MS Study Group. Randomized controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis. Eur J Neurol. 2007;14(3):290-296. doi:10.1111/j.1468-1331.2006.01639.x
• Rehman Y, Saini A, Huang S, Sood E, Gill R, Yanikomeroglu S. Cannabis in the management of PTSD: a systematic review. AIMS Neurosci. 2021;8(3):414-434. Published 2021 May 13. doi:10.3934/Neuroscience.2021022