Skip to main content

Who Might Benefit From Medicinal Cannabis?

What is medicinal cannabis?

Medicinal cannabis is made from the cannabis sativa plant. The leaves and buds of this plant are also used to make the drug marijuana, which people use to get high. Medicinal cannabis is sometimes referred to as medical cannabis or medical marijuana.

Cannabis has been shown to relieve pain, prevent or reduce vomiting, and it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This is because substances called cannabinoids act on the body’s endocannabinoid system. This is a communications system in the brain and body that influences mood, memory, sleep and appetite.

The cannabis plant contains 80 to 100 cannabinoids. The one that gets people high is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Other cannabinoids have been shown to relieve symptoms of disease. International research is looking at the therapeutic properties of some of the other cannabinoids.

The side effects of medicinal cannabis are still being studied. They may include:

- difficulty concentrating dizziness - drowsiness - problems with balance - problems with thinking and memory

Medicinal cannabis is tightly regulated. Products approved for use in Australia include nabiximols and synthetic cannabinoids. These products are formulated so they have the greatest medical effect and the fewest possible side effects.

In some countries, crude cannabis (raw cannabis plant material) and cannabis oil are used as therapies. These are both illegal in Australia.

Who might benefit from medicinal cannabis?

There hasn’t been enough research yet to prove the benefits of medicinal cannabis. But it is showing promise for some people with chronic or terminal illnesses who don’t get relief from other medicines, or to help control some of the side effects caused by other medicines.

Researchers are investigating the use of medicinal cannabis for:

epilepsy multiple sclerosis - nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy - non-cancer chronic pain palliative care

How can I access medicinal cannabis?

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates the supply of medicinal cannabis. Doctors can apply to the TGA to supply medicinal cannabis to certain patients through the Authorised Prescriber Scheme and the Special Access Scheme. Patients may be able to access medicinal cannabis through a specialist doctor, their GP, or if they are taking part in a clinical trial.

You cannot apply to the TGA to get medicinal cannabis yourself; only your doctor can apply. The doctor must meet certain requirements, must obtain permits, and must also comply with relevant state laws. However, the laws are different in each state and this may affect whether you can get access to medicinal cannabis.

You can check the laws in your state by visiting:

ACT Health NSW Government Northern Territory Department of Health Queensland Health SA Health Tasmanian Department of Health health.vic Healthy WA

The Australian Government recently changed the law to allow organisations to grow cannabis for research and to make pharmaceutical products. Growing cannabis yourself or using it for non-medical purposes is still illegal.

Do not try to import cannabis products or smoke 'street' marijuana to try to treat your symptoms. As well as this being illegal, you have no control over the dose or what is in the product. Also, there hasn’t been research into any side effects, and any form of smoking can give you cancer.

Questions to ask your doctor

- Could medicinal cannabis help my condition? - Is it safe for me to use? - Will it affect my other medications? - Are there any side effects?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medical Marijuana Card Online

Are you wondering, “How to get a medical card in Virginia for cannabis?” Luckily, the process is relatively simple, and CannabisRxHealth can do most of the work for you. We aim to make the process as smooth. As simple as possible. Here’s what you need to know about obtaining a VA medical marijuana card. Qualifying Not everyone with a medical condition will qualify for a Virginia medical marijuana card. The only way to qualify is to be diagnosed by a licensed healthcare professional as having a condition that can benefit from medical marijuana. There’s a tremendous amount of ambiguity regarding who can qualify for VA medical marijuana. The state has provided a list of some conditions which automatically qualify, including: - Multiple sclerosis - Autism - Anxiety - Glaucoma - Tourette’s syndrome - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Ultimately, it’s up to your physician as to whether you would benefit from medical marijuana. Anyone suffering from severe anxiety or a condition causing c...
1 comment
Read more

Legal Weed Business Licenses As Low As $800

Wanna get in the NJ legal weed business? Here's how much it'll cost. We still don't know when legal weed sales in New Jersey will begin, but regulators on Thursday gave the public a look at how much it will cost to get in the business. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission adopted its first set of rules and regulations governing the legal weed industry in the Garden State for at least the next year. The regulations don't yet answer a crucial question: When will someone be allowed to purchase legal weed at a licensed New Jersey dispensary without a medical marijuana card? Under the marijuana legalization laws enacted by Gov. Phil Murphy in February, the CRC must pick a start date in the next 180 days, about six months. But there is no timeline by which the CRC must issue licenses for cannabis businesses to begin sales. The commission, in its fourth month of operation, largely started from scratch when it was finally convened earlier this year. The C...
1 comment
Read more

Most Alternative Therapies For Treating Autism Show Inconclusive Benefits

Autism spectrum disorder affects an estimated one in 68 children in the United States. It's a "spectrum" because symptoms range from a child with signifcant intellectual disabilities, including problems with speech, attention, memory and/or repetitive behaviors, to those who have average or above-average intelligence, but who struggle with social skills. "The short answer is there simply isn't enough solid scientific evidence to say definitely one way or the other whether most of the alternative treatments help or harm," Jeste said. The following is a summary of some of the most popular therapies for which evidence is inconclusive: Melatonin Sleep disorders are common in children with autism. "There has been some solid research on the use of melatonin, a neurohormone made naturally by our bodies," Jeste said. Evidence suggests that autism may disrupt the synthesis of natural melatonin or impact melatonin cell receptors in the body. Clinical trials ...
1 comment
Read more