According to the Sydney Morning Herald, despite the approval of the 100,000th cannabinoid script in the country, the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) is advising doctors to hold tight. “Do not prescribe currently available medicinal cannabis products to treat chronic non-cancer pain unless part of a registered clinical trial,” notes the recommendation posted on Choosing Wisely, a health education campaign. Emphasizing there is “a critical lack of evidence that it provides a consistent benefit for any type of chronic non-cancer pain,” ANZCA points out the lion’s share of special access scheme approvals (more than 90 percent) “have been for chronic pain of various types.” Beyond the lack of evidence regarding effectiveness, though, is the evidence that potential harms exist, “particularly in relation to sedative effects, interactions with other medications and neuropsychiatric effects” for products containing THC, the recommendation states. What’s really needed, the group argues, is “evidence from gold-standard studies that prove cannabinoid products effectively treat these patients’ suffering,” the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 03/24/2021 20:00:00