New researchers have found various effects of cannabis. The recent approval of two non-intoxicating cannabis components, cannabidiol (CBD) oil products made in the United States, may have given patients on cannabis prescriptions fresh hope.
Because of the slow pace of product approvals, some patients believed they would resort to the illegal market.
The use of cannabis has been a matter of debate for since long.
It’s Time to Treat Medicinal Cannabis As An Alternative Therapy
Many people count the benefits that are offered by cannabis, while others consider the side effects and disadvantages.
However, recently a team of experts has carried out another study where cannabis is displayed less with benefits and more with side effects.
Hence it is necessary for the medical fraternity now to consider the options using cannabis for health benefits as an alternative therapy than the medical said a team member from the research team.
However, the majority of people who continue to self-medicate with illegally supplied cannabis, whether through “green fairies,” personal networks, drug dealers, or growing their own, will be disappointed by these new authorizations.
Many of them are the same groups who pushed for medicinal cannabis legalization in the first place but who now find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Many people who use cannabis medically are still missing out after years of waiting and 18 months since the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme (MCS) was established.
Part of the issue is affordability, as well as persistent difficulties in obtaining prescriptions. The absence of clinical research to verify cannabis’ usefulness in the treatment of a variety of ailments is also a problem. However, when the system’s equality and fairness are in doubt, perhaps a different method is required. Should we consider medicinal cannabis as an alternative therapy rather than a pharmaceutical medicine?
It’s been four years since the government stated its “commitment to make medical cannabis more accessible,” and nearly three years since the Ministry of Health was able to draught MCS regulations thanks to a modification to the Misuse of Drugs Act.
In April 2020, the regime opened for product applications, with local businesses working on certification and product development. Extensions to the “transitional period” were authorized to keep the sale of imported goods going. However, on Oct 1, this unexpectedly terminated, leaving only four Canadian medications approved under the MCS available in New Zealand pharmacies.
Domestic producers attributed the poor progress to regulatory hurdles that are nearly as high as those for pharmaceuticals. The health minister responded by blaming the industry for failing to work hard enough to reach those criteria.
Lack of clinical Proof
Five percent of New Zealanders use cannabis for medical purposes, with pain, sleep, and anxiety being the most common ailments. However, scientific and clinical research data for cannabis’s usefulness in certain illnesses is still minimal.
The prohibition under international drug treaties has stymied research into Cannabis’ Potential Medical Benefits for decades. However, while more clinical trials are needed, medicinal cannabis’s safety profile—particularly non-intoxicating CBD products—is good and well-tolerated.
Despite this, many doctors are naturally wary of recommending and prescribing cannabis-based medications.
Only one out of every three patient requests for medicinal cannabis prescriptions was granted, according to our survey of nearly 3,600 medicinal cannabis users. According to other studies, just 20% of people succeed. This is unlikely to change unless gold-standard, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials show that cannabis-based products are effective for certain medical problems.
Above all, this would get patients’ entitlement to therapeutic self-determination and improved access while also relieving doctors of the burden of prescribing “medicines” that lack clinical trial data in many circumstances.
