University of Newcastle academic flags concerns over medical marijuana

[MongyMan]

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3936904/concerns-flagged-over-cannabis-use/

 

A UNIVERSITY of Newcastle academic has warned more rigorous research is needed into medical marijuana before it is rolled out as a therapeutic good.

Chair of clinical pharmacology Professor Jennifer Martin and St Vincent's Health Associate Professor Yvonne Bonomo were published in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, raising their concerns about a lack of reliable information around dosage, efficacy, safety and prescription of cannabinoids.

"We certainly don't want to stop what's going on at the moment, it's a great investment,” Professor Martin said, referring to the state government funded research and the federal government passing amendments to the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 to allow controlled cultivation of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes.

"But the government alluded to this legislation being the missing link for people to access it and what we're saying is there is still a very long way to go,” Professor Martin said. "There are multiple missing links. 

"We need to be realistic, this is not going to happen quickly if we want to do it safely and effectively. 

"It's worth waiting to get this right, because once it's out there in the community it will be harder to get access to research funding." 

Professor Martin said despite cannabis being legal in many American states and dispensed from pharmacies in The Netherlands, there had not been any reliable data collected on what form of administration and dosages had been most effective for each condition.

She said she hoped an upcoming Newcastle-based trial of 30 cancer patients using different dosages of vaporised botanical leaf cannabis would prove valuable. Results expected at the end of the year will be used in a state-wide study of palliative care patients comparing this form of cannabis against a placebo.

The state government has also funded trials of cannabis for children with a specific type of epilepsy and cancer patients receiving chemotherapy who are experiencing nausea and vomiting. 

Terminally ill adults continue to receive compassionate access to cannabis.

Professor Martin said she would like to hear more from patients, as well as from the Australian Medical Council and others about what training doctors, pharmacists and nurses would require.

In addition, she said more discussion was needed about changes to medicines and poisons legislation; consistent quality; stability in different storage conditions; and the length of time the drug would be prescribed.

"The most important thing will be to get the regulatory framework right, that's pretty vital,”she said. 

"At the moment we're asking the Therapeutic Goods Administration to make a decision [to reschedule medical cannabis from a prohibited drug to a controlled drug] on something they don't have any evidence for. 

"In relation to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, we can't fund a drug for which there is no evidence."

Both authors are contributing to pharmacology modules about cannabis for the University of Newcastle's Doctor of Medicine.

[MongyMan]

 

 

"We certainly don't want to stop what's going on at the moment, it's a great investment,” Professor Martin said

 

"It's worth waiting to get this right, because once it's out there in the community it will be harder to get access to research funding."

 

Not hard to see where her motivation comes from   

[justanidea]

Not hard to see where her motivation comes from   

 

Profits before people has always been the mantra when it comes to Medical Cannabis in Australia.

[The Hash Nibbler]

In for a penny .... in for a pound...,Guvnar...

[Ganggong]

Man were do these educated bullshiters get off with this crap?just one more time for the educated dummy's.

The human race has been using medical cannabis for at least ten thousand years ,this is documented scientific fact.No one dies of over doses from cannabis.

Cannabis is probably the safest therapeutic substance out there!

Jennifer Martin and yvonne bonomo you should be ashamed of yourself all you see is big pharma money and corruption.we do not need your so called expertise to treat sick and dying people!

People treat themselves successfully all over the world every day.

We will not be controlled by big pharma!

[3289275]

 

their concerns about a lack of reliable information around dosage, efficacy, safety and prescription of cannabinoids.

 

 

makes it sound like a super dangerous drug and dosage should be based on a person to person scale. everyone is different and need different amounts.

 

also what is vaporised botanical leaf cannabis? is it literally just leaf? if it is that dose not sound very helpful. poor guinea pigs

[Faith]

they would sell their mother for a buck...well yours and mine at least.  those kinda folks are vile. they are sick in the mind and body...the spirit they serve is not a good one.

Faith

[Photos]

they would sell their mother for a buck...well yours and mine at least.  those kinda folks are vile. they are sick in the mind and body...the spirit they serve is not a good one.

Faith

i couldnt say it better, Pure evil