The term ‘cannabis’ may provoke different reactions in different people. Some will see it as part of a wider drug problem in Australia and overseas. Others will see its recreational use as generally harmless to most. But what about so-called ‘medicinal’ cannabis? If you’re one of many Australians who has long rejected cannabis use, would you reconsider if it brought symptom relief?
Cannabis has been used by humans in various forms for thousands of years and for various purposes. Those have long-included religious and recreational usage, despite many believing that the latter emerged only in the ‘flower power’ era of the 1960s.
The idea of medicinal cannabis is not new either. But because of its mind-altering capabilities its use has been discouraged and outlawed at times over many centuries. As recently as the 1950s and 1960s, the World Health Organization published repeated negative conclusions regarding the therapeutic utility of cannabis. The US and many other countries readily used these conclusions to support a blanket ban on its usage.
The 2020s attitude towards medicinal cannabis
More recently, many countries have relaxed laws on the use of cannabis, even recreationally. This and the dissemination of knowledge gained through further research has largely removed the stigma associated with medical cannabis usage.
Various well-known personalities now freely admit to using cannabis for medicinal purposes, particularly for pain relief. Unsurprisingly, many of these are high profile former athletes.
One prominent example is AFL coach Damian Hardwick. Before moving into coaching, Hardwick played 207 games of AFL football over 11 seasons. Injuries sustained in that period left him with long-term pain issues in his hips and knees. Medical cannabis provided some welcome relief.
Several years ago, Hardwick joined Levin Health, a medical cannabis company that is running trials in conjunction with La Trobe university to assess the therapeutic benefits of the drug.
Other prominent athletes – including basketballer Lauren Jackson, jockey Damien Oliver and Hardwick’s fellow AFL coach Alistair Clarkson – have served on the board of Levin Health.
Could cannabis be right for you?
With the stigma of medicinal cannabis now largely removed, is its use something you should now consider for chronic pain? The short answer is yes. While research into its benefits is ongoing, medicinal cannabis is increasingly being used to manage not just chronic pain but a host of other conditions. These include nausea and vomiting (for example, caused by chemotherapy), epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), palliative care and cancer-related anorexia.
Medical cannabis has provided great relief to sufferers of these conditions where other treatments have not.
Importantly, though, if you think medical cannabis could help you, it should be sought only through approved medical channels. Cannabis remains a tightly controlled drug in Australia and its therapeutic use must be done through prescription only.
Sourcing cannabis through other channels can be both illegal and dangerous. Alternatives such as synthetic cannabis are unregulated and illegal in Australia.
If you believe medical cannabis could be a viable option for you, start with a visit to your GP.
Have you thought about using medical cannabis? Has its historical stigma held you back? Let us know via the comments section below.
Also read: Is joint pain inevitable, or can we treat it?
Health disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues and is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.
