Politics

Weekend Weirdness: Remember When Pharmacists Mixed Cannabis into Anti-Diarrheal Medicine?

Published on July 18, 2015 · Last updated July 28, 2020

A retiring pharmacist from Waterloo waxed nostalgic about his profession back in ye olden days (1955), where he "[mixed] and [cooked] concoctions at the back of the drug store." One of the remedies he whipped up on a regular basis was a common cure for the trots that contained a rather… familiar ingredient. 

When Maurice Payes, now 77 years old, was asked to concoct some medicine to counteract diarrhea, he'd do what other pharmacists did during that time: he threw in some cannabis. 

Said Payes about the use of a "form of cannabis plant" in the anti-diarrheal medicine: 

"It used to come in liquid form. Not the same kind that was used for smoking, but it came from hemp. It worked quite well apparently."

Considering there are lots of cannabis strains that can help remedy stomach pain, manage Crohn's and gastrointestinal disorder symptoms, and stave off nausea, I'd be inclined to agree with Mr. Payes. 

Does cannabis help you settle a troubled tummy? When you feel a storm a-brewin' down south, which strain helps you tame the bowel beast? 

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Rebecca Kelley
Rebecca Kelley
Rebecca is the Content Director at Leafly, where she oversees Leafly News production and other content projects.
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