A three-pronged, five-year investigation into medicinal cannabis will be led by Swinburne University of Technology’s Dr Thomas Arkell thanks to a A$688,000 grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The investigation aims to help close the knowledge gap surrounding the drug and its potential in society, with Swinburne psychopharmacologist Dr Arkell taking a critical look at Australia’s medicinal cannabis framework to ensure it is evidence-based and fit for purpose.
His three-pronged approach will inform road safety policies, identify gaps in Australia’s medicinal cannabis prescribing model and the impact on patients, and determine the efficacy of the medicine for chronic pain.
He said: “We have a unique situation where medical cannabis is now relatively easy to access, but our evidence base is not where it needs to be, and patient care is not always the priority.
“Medical cannabis shows a lot of therapeutic potential, and patients often say that it really helps them, but our understanding of how cannabis can best be used as a medicine is still in its infancy.”
Announced by minister for health and aged care, Mark Butler, the project will share in an investment of more than $422 million under the NHMRC’s investigator grants scheme.
Dr Arkell added: “This project will dive into some key questions that are very relevant for health and road safety policy. Are patients using medical cannabis safe to drive? What does optimal patient-centred prescribing look like? How well does cannabis work for chronic pain, and which bit of the plant works best?”
“These are not straightforward questions; cannabis is a plant with very complex pharmacology that we are only just starting to understand.”
