For centuries, humans relied on plant-derived medicines, using — based on countless experiments and astute observation — a wide range of chemically-active elements obtained from a wide variety of plants to treat many, if not most, ailments and diseases. A more systematic study of what it is that makes certain plants medically potent had only begun in the 19th century, however, thanks to the advances in chemistry and biology. Today, the entire field of ethnopharmacology — the study of the use of plant-based or other naturally derived medicines across different cultures — has emerged. So have the related fields of… Read More
For centuries, humans relied on plant-derived medicines, using — based on countless experiments and astute observation — a wide range of chemically-active elements obtained from a wide variety of plants to treat many, if not most, ailments and diseases. A more systematic study of what it is that makes certain plants medically potent had only begun in the 19th century, however, thanks to the advances in chemistry and biology. Today, the entire field of ethnopharmacology — the study of the use of plant-based or other naturally derived medicines across different cultures — has emerged. So have the related fields of ethnomedicine, medical anthropology — not to mention food science or good old-fashioned botany — and more. The potential of plants to deliver life-changing medication has long been one of the arguments for biodiversity. It should not come as a surprise that scientists, in research labs and in the biotech industry, have also been studying cannabis with a belief that, thanks to the chemicals in the plant, it’s much more than just a popular recreational drug. One such company is a pioneer in this research and the owner of the very first prescription medication derived directly from the cannabis plant. —Recommended… Read More