A cautious response to public interest in medical uses of cannabis products remains appropriate
Over the past 20 years or more, governments in many countries have struggled with how best to respond to the requests of patients, families and some doctors that they be allowed to use unapproved cannabis-based medicines to treat serious medical conditions that have failed to respond to conventional treatment.1 In Australia, parents of children with cancer or intractable forms of epilepsy have recently persuaded state and federal governments to permit access to cannabis-based products for medical use under the Special Access Scheme of the Therapeutic Goods Act.2
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We have each advised the Therapeutic Goods Administration on the evidence of the safety and effectiveness of cannabinoids in the treatment of various illnesses. Wayne Hall is a member of the Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Uses of Cannabis.