This is a topic that has garnered much media attention over the past year.  I thought it would be timely to make a few comments about it and clear up the myths.  In some ways, its has been portrayed in the media as a bit of a cure all that will help everyone but the reality of the evidence is a bit different.  It is certainly a new and novel treatment approach but there a limit to its place in therapy.   

At this stage the evidence is that medicinal cannabis is effective for:

• Chronic pain in adults
• To treat nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy
• To improve patient reported spasticity in multiple sclerosis

There is moderate evidence for:

• Improving sleep disturbance in patients with sleep apnoea, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and multiple sclerosis in the short term
• Treating seizures in patients with epilepsy who are unresponsive to conventional therapy

There is limited evidence for:

• Increasing appetite / decreasing weight loss in HIV patients
• Improving symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome
• Improving social anxiety disorders
• Improving symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder

 
Importantly medicinal cannabis can only be accessed through an authorised prescriber or by a TGA Special Access Scheme application made by the patient’s prescriber.  It is not considered first line therapy for any medical condition and therefore should only be considered when conventional treatments have failed. 

It really is early days in the use of this drug in Australia and it is important to understand the facts about this drug over the hype.  If you have any queries or would like to know more please come in and see me at the pharmacy or get in touch over the phone or via email.
 
Interesting Stuff From the Latest Research
I have an interest in new views that come out of new research.  These often come up in my reading so I thought I’d share a few here.

No Skim – A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found no link between dairy fats and death (more specifically heart attack and stroke).  So, as I have suspected for quite some time, there is little health benefit in skim milk and low fat cheese and certainly no flavour benefit.

Lift weights. Live longer – New research from the University of Michigan shows that people with stronger muscles live longer.  The evidence suggests those with low muscle strength are 50% more likely to die earlier.  Maintaining muscle strength through life is one of them most important factors for longevity and ageing independently.  And…. It is never too late to start.

EAT EGGS – To keep your heart healthy simply eat more eggs.  Research published in the journal Heart showed the results of a UK-China joint study of over half a million people.  It found that eating eggs daily can reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 18%.  It wasn’t so long ago that eggs were viewed as an unhealthy food – the research has continually dispelled this but the myth still remains.