AM S J
Legalising medical cannabis in Australia Second Year Medicine (Undergraduate)
Hamish is a second year medical student at James Cook University with a keen interest in surgery, medical research, and medical ethics. He is looking forward to his upcoming placements in rural Queensland.
of cannabis, the most common are and from cannabis are, hashish – the thick resin of the plant, and marijuana
(THC); others include cannabinol and cannabidiol (CBD).
receptors found in the body: CB1 and CB2. Both are G-protein coupled plasma membrane receptors. The CB1 receptors are mostly found in receptors are mainly associated 2
Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids are strongly purposes such as the Netherlands, Israel, eighteen states in the United known as Dronabinol (containing just THC), Nabilone (containing a
many of the cannabinoids found in natural cannabis plants and this A Californian study examining medical marijuana use showed 76.6% week. Therefore, the majority of medical marijuana users are likely
The rescheduling of cannabis in Australia draws strong debate Pain relief
Currently cannabis is a Schedule nine drug in all Australian states and territories, placing it in the same category as drugs like heroin and
scheduling of cannabis as a Schedule nine drug, as per the Standard
with approximately 40% of Australians aged fourteen years or older
they purchase cannabis from a dealer they also face quality and supply
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to opiates and opioids. A parallel study in the United Kingdom (UK) compared the use of a THC and CBD extract, a THC only extract, and a placebo in the treatment of cancer pain. It found that a THC:CBD mixture (such as that found naturally in the cannabis plant) is