Cannabis Therapy - new podcast

Cannabis Therapy is the topic of discussion in the latest Pomegranate Health podcast. 

Only a few of the claimed medical effects of the plant have been proven by rigorous clinical trials in people.

Nabiximols is the lone medicinal cannabis product currently registered in New Zealand and Australia, and it’s indicated ​solely for­­ the treatment of spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Systematic reviews of the research note strong evidence cannabis can also help with the pain associated with MS, nausea induced by chemotherapy and some cases of epilepsy.

But for many other conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, immune disorders and Parkinsonism, reviewers concluded that meaningful clinical recommendations could not be made—there simply aren’t enough studies of good quality.

Cannabis is complex. The flower bud contains mostly cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but there are about 100 other cannabinoid compounds. On this episode, Pomegranate Health guests explain how important it is to separate the effect of these various components in a systematic way, and why well-regulated research and prescribing will be safer for patients.

Guests include: Associate Professor Peter Grimison FRACP (Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, University of Sydney), Professor Meera Agar FRACP (UTS, USNW, IMPACCT), Associate Professor Carolyn Arnold FRACP (Monash University, Alfred Health), Prof Samuel Berkovic AC FRACP (Epilepsy Research Centre, University of Melbourne), and Professor Jennifer Martin FRACP (Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Research Excellence, University of Newcastle, John Hunter Hospital).

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