The most recent paper on the medical use of Cannabis in Australia was conducted by the NSW Parliament and summarises all of the recent national and overseas enquiries that have examined and supported the medical use of Cannabis.

The Medical Use of Cannabis: Recent Developments. Briefing Paper No. 1/99

by Gareth Griffith and Marie Swain

HEMP is currently preparing a submission to the NSW Government response to its call for public comment on its Medical Cannabis proposals.

The most recent South Australian inquiry into Medical Marijuana came as a result of recommendations from the SA Legislative Council Select Committee's Report in 1995.

Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis

Linda Gowing, Robert Ali, Paul Christie, Jason White,
DASC Monograph No 1, Research Series,
Drug & Alcohol Services Council, SA & Adelaide University

Presented to the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, May 4th, 1998.

31pp.

ISBN 0-7308-0278-7

Includes:

Executivive Summary

Medical Conditions of Primary Interest

Percieved effectiveness of smoked Cannabis and synthetic Cannabinoids in the treatment of AIDS-related wasting syndrome

Barriers to therapeutic use of Cannabis

International Viewpoints

Conclusions

Bibliography

Hopefully we will be able to link to this report when it is made available on-line.

In the mean time, contact DASC directly and ask for a copy,
then contact your MP
and demand to know why their recommendations
regarding clinical trials etc have not been implemented!

DASC

161 Greenhill Rd

Parkside, 5063

AUSTRALIA

(08) 8274 3333

Meanwhile, several years earlier in Adelaide...

By Political Reporter MIRANDA MURPHY.

The therapeutic use of cannabis by terminally-ill patients is being considered by the State Government.

The Transport Minister, Ms Laidlaw, on behalf of the Health Minister, Dr Armitage, has confirmed that the issue is being investigated by the SA Drug and Alcohol Services Council.

The council, in association with the University of Adelaide's Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and the Commonwealth Public Health Division, will present a report to the ministerial council on drug strategy in June.

"This is clearly a complex area," Ms Laidlaw told Parliament last week.

"Consideration of this issue needs to take into account the Australian context and there needs to be very clear understanding of the scientific, legal and ethical issues."

Ms Laidlaw was responding to a motion proposed by the Australian Democrats that the State Government allow trialling of cannabis for eligible patients.

A select committee into the control and legal use of drugs of dependence investigated therapeutic uses for cannabis and recommended in July, 1995, there should be support from the State Government for the carrying out of clinical trials using natural cannabis.

In November last year the Democrats Leader, Mr Elliott, moved the motion and was supported by the Opposition but last week Ms Laidlaw said the Government would wait until the council's report before making a decision.

Mr Elliott said cannabis, specifically if smoked, which sped up ingestion - could stimulate the appetite in cancer and AIDS patients who were suffering nausea and help with pain relief. There was also evidence to suggest that the eye condition glaucoma responded to cannabis treatment.

While a synthetic cannabis drug - dronabinal - can already be prescribed in SA by a few doctors, it is expensive and has not been used.

Mr Elliott said the trialling of dronabinal was only a "partial response" to the committee's recommendation and there were specific medical reasons why natural cannabis should be trialled.

The medical director of the SA Drug and Alcohol Services Council, Dr Robert Ali, said it would look at the methodologies of studies which offered evidence that smoking cannabis was therapeutic; at ethical questions on the use of the drug; and at guidelines on how the drug could be provided

Of course in times gone by, Cannabis was an essential and effective, ingredient in all manner of patent medicines.