Articles on Medicinal cannabis

Displaying all articles

While the law is slowly coming along, those who need medicinal cannabis are mostly still unable to obtain it. Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

March 9, 2017

Why is it still so hard for patients in need to get medicinal cannabis?

Alex Wodak, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst and Laurence Mather, University of Sydney

So far, only a few patients have been able to obtain lawful medicinal cannabis, and only after a long and difficult struggle.

This was the year of the health review, the NDIS, and Zika virus. Images sourced from one.aap.com.au

December 26, 2016

2016, the year that was: Health + Medicine

Alexandra Hansen, The Conversation

Health spent a lot of time in the spotlight in 2016. Medicare was a major issue in Australia’s federal election and numerous government reviews into health were announced and reported.

Lucy Haslam and Alex Wodak helped convince the public and politicians that the time for legalised medicinal cannabis had come. AAP/Alan Porritt

December 18, 2016

Change Agents: Alex Wodak and Lucy Haslam on the push to legalise medicinal cannabis

Andrew Dodd, Swinburne University of Technology

Change Agents: The push to legalise medicinal cannabis. CC BY-NC-SA46.9 MB (download)

In 2016 three Australian states and the Commonwealth passed laws to legalise the growing of medicinal cannabis. It was an extraordinary result for a campaign that struggled for decades to gain traction.

Despite dozens of trials internationally, the evidence on medical cannabis is unconvincing. EPA/ABIR SULTAN

December 5, 2016

Could a cannabis pill reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting? Here’s how we find out

Peter Grimison, University of Sydney

NSW is about to embark on the largest and most definitive clinical trial ever of medicinal cannabis for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

There is incredible variation between strains of cannabis plant. AAP Image/QLD Police

November 1, 2016

Using DNA to unlock the mysteries of cannabis and reduce the risk of dodgy ‘medical’ products

Graham King, Southern Cross University

The Australian government will now accept licence applications for groups wanting to grow cannabis for scientific and medical purposes. But there's still a lot we don't know about this complex plant.

Drug testing has not been found to reduce road crashes. Julian Smith/AAP

February 26, 2016

What would effective, fair and just drug-driving laws look like?

Alex Wodak, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst and David McDonald, Australian National University

With legislation for medicinal cannabis having been passed by the federal parliament, what do we do now about drug-driving laws?

The health minister has put forward legislation for the growing of marijuana, but what’s next to actually get it to patients? AAP/Carol Cho

February 12, 2016

What needs to happen now to get medicinal cannabis to those who need it?

Alex Wodak, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst

This week minister for health Sussan Ley tabled amendments to our drugs act to allow the growth of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes.

Heavy cannabis use is consistently associated with poorer attention and memory, and increased rates of metal health problems. Pe3k/F/Shutterstock

May 27, 2015

Remind me again, how does cannabis affect the brain?

Murat Yücel, Monash University; Aaron Kandola, Monash University, and Adrian Carter, Monash University

The legislative changes poised to increase the availability of cannabis are outpacing our understanding of the impact that the drug has on the brain.

The three states will collaborate on the development of medicinal cannabis, its regulatory framework and clinical research. Prensa 420/Flickr

April 20, 2015

Trials a step forward for medicinal cannabis but what comes next?

David Penington, University of Melbourne

Queenslanders and Victorians with particular chronic illnesses will be eligible to join New South Wales medicinal cannabis trials, due to start mid next year.

Legalised programs may be underused if doctors do not support them. boodoo/Flickr

November 27, 2014

Legalising medical cannabis: lessons from Canada’s policies

Nola Ries, University of Newcastle

A bill to permit medical cannabis use in Australia is set for debate in Senate. If medical cannabis use is legalised, doctors could become gatekeepers between patients and a controversial drug. Lessons…

Somewhere in this much-incinerated plant lies valuable medicine: perhaps a treatment for cancer or an antidote to obesity. Prensa 420/Flickr

August 26, 2014

Old dope, new tricks: the new science of medical cannabis

David J. Allsop, University of Sydney and Iain S McGregor, University of Sydney

Medicinal cannabis is back in the news again after a planned trial to grow it in Norfolk Island was blocked by the federal government last week. The media is ablaze with political rumblings and tales of…

Top contributors

Alex Wodak
Emeritus Consultant, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst
David McDonald
Visiting Fellow at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University
Iain S McGregor
Professor of Psychopharmacology and NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, University of Sydney
Murat Yücel
Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Monash University
Andrew Dodd
Program Director – Journalism, Swinburne University of Technology
David Penington
Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne
Adrian Carter
Senior Research Fellow, Monash University
David J. Allsop
Associate Professor in Psychopharmacology and Addiction Medicine at the School of Psychology, University of Sydney
Laurence Mather
Emeritus Professor, Anaesthesia, University of Sydney
Nola Ries
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
Aaron Kandola
Research Assistant, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, Monash University
Graham King
Director, Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University
Peter Grimison
Medical oncologist from Chris O`Brien Lifehouse cancer hospital, Lead researcher NSW Government clinical trial into the role of cannabis-derived medicines in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, Clinical Associate Professor., University of Sydney
Natasha Wallace
Principal Communications and Events Officer Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research and Innovation Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Office of the Chief Scientist