Organic medicines have been around for as long as humans have been sick. But the past century saw them put on the back burner as synthetic drugs and big pharmaceutical corporations took center stage.
Fortunately, there has been a resurgence in the use of organic medicine in recent years. This shift is sparked by growing public interest as people become more aware of the addiction risk of synthetic drugs like opioids and the danger posed by multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria.
This situation puts organic medicine next to blockchain technology on a list of disruptive developments that will shape the future. Given that blockchain technology has plenty of potential applications in health, what will it do for organic medicine?
The current state of organic medicine
A growing number of people are turning to organic substances like cannabis and psilocybin as alternative healthcare solutions. Of these, cannabis provides the best illustration of the current state of organic medicines.
Several countries around the world, including the UK, have approved the use of cannabis for medical purposes. There is also a record number of clinical trials exploring the benefits and application of medical cannabis and other organic substances.
This is, of course, an indication that the sector is heading in the right direction. But things are far from perfect.
Why?
Since the legalization of medical cannabis in November 2018, twenty thousand people in the UK have received prescriptions for it. Those are decent enough numbers until one realizes that approximately 1.8 million people self-medicate with cannabis.
This means that the vast majority of people still get their medical cannabis illegally. So, there must be something(s) that's slowing down the mainstream adoption of organic medicines
Challenges facing organic medicine
Organic medicines still have many challenges to overcome. For example, despite the legalization of cannabis, there is still heavy regulation around who can get the drug in the UK. This is why out of all the patients requiring cannabis treatment, very few people are able to get prescriptions for medical cannabis.
There is also the problem of affordability. Prescription cannabis is quite expensive. According to a report from PLEA (Patient-Led Engagement for Access) that studied 350 medical cannabis patients, 35% of patients currently spend over £350 a month for their prescription, and another 46% pay between £150 - £300.
The same report also revealed an issue with the supply consistency and quality of medical cannabis. Close to two-thirds of the patients reported experiencing 'unreasonable' delays to their prescriptions. On the other hand, 31% noted having quality control issues, such as receiving a damaged or contaminated product.
Unfortunately, the problems don't stop there. Patients using organic medicine also experience financial restrictions. This is because many financial institutions restrict payments for medical cannabis. As a result, many patients are unable to pay for their preferred treatment options.
Lastly, there is still a good amount of stigmatization around medicinal cannabis. Big Pharma has, for a long time, controlled the narrative about what is best for the human body and through years of campaigning against the use of organic medicine, has created a negative attitude in many areas of the industry.
It's also important to note that most organic medicines were prohibited for a long time. Therefore, there is a lack of clear information on the benefits of organic medications. This has led to the development of many misconceptions that have further deepened the stigma.
Overall, to move forward and secure a place in the future, these problems need solutions. This is where blockchain technology comes in.
Blockchains' solutions
Blockchain technology provides ready solutions to many of the problems facing organic medicine, as Ecoinomy demonstrates.
Ecoinomy is an innovative healthcare solution that is aiming to unlock the full potential of organic medicine by creating a secure, transparent, and credible ecosystem that leverages blockchain technology.
The project plans to solve the problem of financial restrictions by enabling cryptocurrency payments. This makes sense because crypto payments are censorship resistant. Patients in the ecosystem will be able to pay for their organic medicine without having to worry about restrictions.
Blockchains can also be used to ensure transparency in the supply chain process, solving the problems of supply consistency, and quality of medical cannabis. Ecoinomy says its ecosystem will connect growers, buyers, and sellers through a decentralized marketplace of fully compliant, authentic medical-grade organic medicine products.
Given how transparent these protocols can be, such a system will make it possible to track cannabis from seed to sale. This has several big benefits.
For one, patients will be able to see precisely where their cannabis is coming from and what it goes through. This should reduce issues around quality assurance.
Second, it will let regulators monitor and track the production of medical cannabis. There will be no blind spots in the system. Therefore, regulators will no longer have to pass strict regulations in an attempt to cover these spots, making it easier for patients to get prescriptions.
An organic future powered by blockchain
For thousands of years, people were able to rely upon the medicinal properties of cannabis, but during the twentieth century that largely stopped. Now, cannabis is slowly making a comeback.
Organic medicines still face a lot of obstacles. To stand a better chance of achieving its full potential, the industry should leverage blockchain technology to inject more transparency and reduce restrictions. It should also invest in education to help deconstruct the stigma surrounding organic medicine.
