Editorial: Medicinal Cannabis: Evolution of therapeutic use, future approaches and other implications

Cannabis has been used in even the oldest traditional medicines available. In the last century, negative attention has prevailed regarding the psychotropic and abuse potential. For this reason, Cannabis has been banned and declared illegal in many countries. In recent years, however, there has been a more in-depth evaluation of the legalization of cannabinoids for medical use in several countries following heightened media attention and reports of effectiveness, although not always thoroughly backed up by scientific evidence. The official introduction of pharmaceutical-grade Cannabis inflorescences for medicinal purposes has allowed physicians and pharmacists, to prescribe and prepare several Cannabis preparations legally. Such products are currently being administered to patients without their efficacy being evaluated in controlled studies: for each patient the composition and route of administration may differ. In addition, many advanced administration systems have been developed or are still under development, but few clinical trials have been completed.
In this context, this Research Topic focused on the in-depth analysis of the legal, technological and pharmacological aspects related to the medical use of Cannabis-based formulations.