New research published in the International Journal of Drug Policy suggests the TGA’s plan to down schedule low-dose CBD is unlikely to benefit patients.
The paper’s co-author Professor Iain McGregor, academic director of Sydney University’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, said much higher doses were needed to give relief to patients with chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety and epilepsy.
“There is no good quality evidence that 60mg does anything useful,” he said.
Without access to appropriate dosing of between 300 to 400mg per day, thousands of patients will continue self-medicating with illicit cannabis, he added.
Professor McGregor said an estimated 600,000 Australians may be self-medicating.
The Senate inquiry into barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia in March found that allowing products containing low-dose CBD to be sold over-the-counter in pharmacies would greatly increase the accessibility of these products for patients and bring Australia into line with Canada and the UK.