MEDICAL cannabis may become a reality in NSW, moving it in line with developed nations such as the UK, Austria, Canada, Spain, Finland, Israel, the Netherlands and parts of the United States.
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The NSW government has committed to clinical trials to explore the use of cannabis and cannabis products in providing relief for children suffering from severe, drug-resistant epilepsy, terminally ill adults and adults with chemotherapy-induced side effects such as nausea and vomiting.
State Minister for Medical Research Pru Goward said the trial set to begin in early 2016 will be led by the University of New South Wales’ chief investigator Associate Professor Dr Meera Agar and will evaluate vaporised leaf cannabis as well as a pharmaceutical product.
“It will be undertaken in two parts, and will assess the potential ability of cannabis to alleviate distressing symptoms including fatigue, low appetite, altered taste and smell for food, low mood, weight loss, nausea, insomnia and pain relief,” Dr Agar said.
Dr Agar said her research will “add to the existing body of evidence based research to help better understand and evaluate the potential benefits that medical cannabis products may have for terminally ill patients”.
Global research in medical cannabis has already produced patented products such as pharmaceutical giant GW Pharmaceuticals’ Sativex mouth spray which was first developed to treat multiple sclerosis sufferers and consists of two unknown cannabis strains.
The company’s research is expanding into patented cannabinoids to treat epilepsy, diabetes, inflammation, oncology and psychiatric illness with their stock price jumping more than tenfold in the last two years.
President of federal political party HEMP Party Michael Balderstone said the trials may be a first for Australia yet trials elsewhere in the world have already proved cannabis’s effectiveness in the treatment of symptoms such as nausea and pain relief.
“What the university is doing is conducting a formal drug trial using placebos, which hasn’t been formally done yet, but there have been trials elsewhere in the world that prove it helps ease a wide range of symptoms,” he said.
“It may open the door for the pharmaceutical industry to take hold.
“It’s all about money unfortunately, and making money from pain relief.
“The pharmaceutical industry is looking to knock out the natural plant for a commercial product for profit,” he said.
Mr Balderstone said it was the hard work and consistent lobbying of mothers of epileptic and autistic children that has kept the issue in the political sphere.
Meanwhile, at a federal level, a committee headed by Greens leader Richard Di Natale and made up of Coalition, Labor and crossbench senators will deliver its report on August 10 that may make the federal government responsible for overseeing the production, distribution and the use of medical cannabis.
Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC said it is time for Australia to legalise medical cannabis as it is a “logical and compassionate response that works across the world”.
“It is time for Australia to get on board,” she said.
The NSW trials will cost $9million with the results expected to be available within two to five years.