We will need to do some Soul healing

Jennifer <take2looks@gmail.com>	Tue, Jan 20, 2015, 9:04 AM
to info

I would like to express an expression of interest in bringing your products to Australia.

I am already in talks with the government, where I have expressed an opportunity to allow one license through a series of  medical centres and farmacies to Australia.

Your product in my opinion is far  superior than we have had offered to many of the Australian's at the moment.

I will attach my website so far, this is just a draft as to show the government on  my ideas and how the Medical Cannabis could work more effectively in Australia.

I am a researcher into Cancer and how to understand what it does to the body in a different concept working on the DNA, alkalining the body, and herbs which help the living to live longer.

My research specialty is DIPG Brain Cancer and Lymphona.  I have been asked by the cannabis growers here in Australia to write a book for the clearer understanding to the general public.  I am yet to launch this book however I will attach the cover so you can see  I am not a radical thinker.  I expose through my evidence the history of the Cannabis and healing properties dating back to 10000BC.

What I have found different varieties help different illnesses.  This is not widely known in Australia.  Many of the patients who have found no benefits have not thought about the quality of the product.  Im only interested in bringing product of quality and with a supply chain big enough to cope with NSW Australia, then to the whole of Australia as the Federal Bill before Parliament is about to be approved.

Since the Street Weed is a problem to the police the government is looking at supply chains from outside of Australia brought in under license.

I would like to know your pricing on wholesale, how you would deliver  the product and delivery timeframes if possible.

Then I would like to start advertising your products under the Medicine Man Concentrates I write about within my book of quality products to heal the sick.

Cannabis treatment research after 3 months of treatment.

Front Pharmacol. 2018 Jan 17;8:983. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00983. eCollection 2017.
The Grass Might Be Greener: Medical Marijuana Patients Exhibit Altered Brain Activity and Improved Executive Function after 3 Months of Treatment.

Gruber SA1,2,3, Sagar KA1,2,3, Dahlgren MK1,2,4, Gonenc A1,2,3, Smith RT1,2, Lambros AM1,2, Cabrera KB1,2, Lukas SE3,5.
Author information
Abstract
The vast majority of states have enacted full or partial medical marijuana (MMJ) programs, causing the number of patients seeking certification for MMJ use to increase dramatically in recent years. Despite increased use of MMJ across the nation, no studies thus far have examined the specific impact of MMJ on cognitive function and related brain activation. In the present study, MMJ patients seeking treatment for a variety of documented medical conditions were assessed prior to initiating MMJ treatment and after 3 months of treatment as part of a larger longitudinal study. In order to examine the effect of MMJ treatment on task-related brain activation, MMJ patients completed the Multi-Source Interference Test (MSIT) while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We also collected data regarding conventional medication use, clinical state, and health-related measures at each visit. Following 3 months of treatment, MMJ patients demonstrated improved task performance accompanied by changes in brain activation patterns within the cingulate cortex and frontal regions. Interestingly, after MMJ treatment, brain activation patterns appeared more similar to those exhibited by healthy controls from previous studies than at pre-treatment, suggestive of a potential normalization of brain function relative to baseline. These findings suggest that MMJ use may result in different effects relative to recreational marijuana (MJ) use, as recreational consumers have been shown to exhibit decrements in task performance accompanied by altered brain activation. Moreover, patients in the current study also reported improvements in clinical state and health-related measures as well as notable decreases in prescription medication use, particularly opioids and benzodiapezines after 3 months of treatment. Further research is needed to clarify the specific neurobiologic impact, clinical efficacy, and unique effects of MMJ for a range of indications and how it compares to recreational MJ use.
KEYWORDS:
MSIT; cannabis; cognition; executive function; fMRI; medical marijuana; neuroimaging
PMID: 29387010 PMCID: PMC5776082 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00983

Handle Cannabis is enough to make you fail a drug test.

ROADSIDE DRUG TESTING DEBUNKING

A recently published study from the University of Freiburg in Germany has found that rolling a joint is enough to fail a drug test. Even indirect contact with cannabis can give you a false positive, with big implications for legal cases that revolve around a drug test as evidence.

Researchers chose 10 lucky participants to roll one joint on five consecutive days, and urine tested them to make sure they didn’t smoke before or during the study. By the fifth day, and the fifth joint, most of the participants had detectable levels of THC and THCA in their hair. Even four weeks after their first exposure hair tests still showed both THCA and decarboxylated THC.

Those who have had to submit to drug tests know all too well about THC’s habit of lingering in the body for long periods of time. This study proves you don’t even need to get high to show up positive; the act of breaking up bud exposes your skin to enough THC to show up on a drug test.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2609716 (original study)

Study: Breaking Up Nugs Can Make You Fail a Drug Test

A recently published study from the University of Freiburg in Germany has found that rolling a joint is enough to fail a drug test. Even indirect contact with cannabis can give you a false positive, with big...

HIGHTIMES.COM

2013-2014 Drug arrests

When we look at the Cannabis it is grown in Australia, the MAJOR SUPPLIER into Sydney has not been hit?  You tell me why?  

We have to look at some of the Cannabis busts have been for a few plants.  Yet this is a Medical herb for the sick and should be legalised because the major problem is the drug ice epidemic we have on the streets of Sydney and further.

Yet this gang that feeds the alleged drug ice is also importing guns for protection.  Protection from who?  Rat eat rat is the game they play.

The illicit drug report pulls together data from state and territory police units, as well as the Australian federal police (AFP) and the Customs and Border Protection Service. It finds authorities made more than 110,000 drug arrests in the 2013-14 financial year and seized a record 27 tonnes of illicit substances.
“Alarmingly, that is one arrest every five minutes and one seizure every six minutes,” Justice Minister Michael Keenan said. “There is no doubt that we are disrupting more criminals and detecting more illicit drugs than ever before but the illicit drug market still remains the principal source of profits for organised crime in Australia and continues to be a key focus for all of our law enforcement agencies.” The report, now in its 12th year, finds there were:
*Nearly 67,000 arrests for cannabis / over 7,000 kg seized
*More than 26,000 arrests for amphetamine-type stimulants / nearly 4,100 kg seized
*Nearly 2,800 arrests for heroin / 158 kg seized; and
*Over 1,450 arrests for cocaine / 317 kg seized.
Dawson noted a “market shift” in the demand for heroin, noting it is “not as high as it has been in previous years”.

Drug seizures at record level says Australian Crime Commission

Authorities made more than 110,000 drug arrests in the 2013-14 financial year, and seized 27 tonnes of illicit substances

THEGUARDIAN.COM|BY SHALAILAH MEDHORA

Ice becoming cheaper and purer in Victoria: Australian Crime Commission report Despite hundreds of millions of dollars being spent to stamp out the drug, ice is becoming cheaper and purer in Victoria. Save THE AGE - THEAGE.COM.AU · 47 SHARES ·14 MAY 2015

Kings Cross Police charged man over Cannabis, drugs firearms

Latest Media Releases

Kings Cross police charge man over alleged drug, firearm-related offences

Friday, 24 April 2015 04:41:54 AM

A man has been charged over alleged drug and firearm-related offences following a search of his South Wentworthville home.

Shortly before 3.30pm on Saturday (18 April 2015), officers from Kings Cross Local Area Command attended a home on David Street at Greenacre, where a 44-year-old man was served with a Firearms Prohibition Order.

Police later attended his South Wentworthville home to conduct a search of the premises, during which they located amounts of cannabis and steroids.

While searching the garage on the Jersey Road property, police also allegedly found a firearm, ammunition, more than $44,000 cash and further illicit drugs.

All items were seized from the property for further forensic examination.

About 1.30pm yesterday (Thursday 23 April 2015), the 44-year-old man was arrested at a fitness centre in West Hoxton and taken to Green Valley Police Station.

He was charged with possess prohibited drug (two counts), supply prohibited drug, possess anabolic steroid agent, deal with proceeds of crime, possess unauthorised firearm and firearm found at premises subject to prevention order.

The man was refused bail and is due to appear before Liverpool Local Court today (Friday 24 April 2015).

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/ Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Import Cannabis for trials from Canada, Israel or Holland

Spoke at length with Senator Dr Richard Di Natale's office this morning......

The CBD extracts for all the Australian trials will be imported from Canada, Israel or Holland depending on availability & cost.

There WILL NOT be any cannabis products imported from China.

More updates to follow when I hear from them again. 

Dr Di Natale will be attending MardiGrass for anyone who wants to find out more about the Regulator Bill

Kundle Kundle 135 Cannabis plants seized

Man charged over $276,000 cannabis haul - Kundle Kundle, near Taree

Thursday, 05 March 2015 01:28:02 AM

Police have charged a man over the discovery of cannabis with an estimated street value of $276,000 on a property at Kundle Kundle, near Taree yesterday.

About 10am (Wednesday 4 March 2015), investigators from Manning Great Lakes Local Area Command executed a search warrant and allegedly located 135 cannabis plants growing on the property.

Police seized these plants, as well as 25 grams of dried cannabis leaf found at the premises.

A 50-year-old man was arrested at the scene. He was taken to Taree Police Station where he was charged with cultivate prohibited plant (greater than indictable quantity and less than commercial quantity), and possess prohibited drug.

The man was granted conditional bail to appear before Taree Local Court on Tuesday 24 March 2015.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/ Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Don Medicinal Cannabis supplied from Outdoor Cannabis Crops

By my research Cannabis can get contaminated by absorbing elements from environment and soil.

Don Medicinal Cannabis

2 hrs · 

I feel this will affect my supply of medicinal cannabis as it is grown organically outdoors in this region

http://m.northernstar.com.au/…/5m-worth-dope-goes-…/2543141/

$5m worth of dope goes up in smoke after week-long cop-op

A MASSIVE drug burn is taking place at Kyogle this morning after a week-long police operation targeting cannabis plantations across the Richmond LAC.

NORTHERNSTAR.COM.AU

Medical Cannabis Male Plants to be grown by Prisons - Raw Cannabis to eat

Medical Cannabis Male Plants are great for the raw juicing.  Fresh is best.

Within various areas of NSW and Australia we have prisons with land. The crop of the future is now here.

Male types of Medical Cannabis plant do not create the high for smoking, the benefits are THC in a small dose, with CBD and a huge amount of CBN.

Within the various studies in history of the Cannabis Plant we  have learnt  the Cannaloids change within  the human body over time from CBD to THC as this plant balances the body and helps repair our own DNA by unblocking the pineal gland.

When this crop is planted and grown within the prison system, it is helping the prison food by allowing the inmates to utilise the Cannabis juice which will help the whole physical health and mental health within the environment.

With many drug users of ice, cocaine, heroin and further entering the prison system raw Cannabis juice will help with the coming down from the high's they had in the outside world and repair the person from the inside out.

According to Dr. Courtney, THC can be taken in doses of hundreds of milligrams when in its acid form. However, once heated, the tolerable dose drops to 10 mg a day.

Cannabis juice also contains CBDA, the acid form of CBD.

William Courtney, a Mendicino County-based physician, recommends eating — or juicing and then drinking — raw cannabis leaf and bud as a way to achieve megadose therapeutic impact from marijuana without psychoactive effect. The green plant contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in its acid form, THCA, which is not psychoactive.

Some effects, according to Courtney, “take three days to be appreciated. Others build for weeks. Full clinical benefit may take four to eight weeks to take effect. It takes that long for plant (phyto) cannabinoids to fully saturate the body’s adipose (fat) tissue. Phytocannabinoids are stored in the adipose tissue, as are the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K.”

Courtney cautions people with kidney or gallbladder problems that raw cannabis might pose a risk. He would not recommend it for a patient with Hypercalciuria, type II, Enteric Hyperoxaluria, or Primary hyperoxaluria. 

Courtney notes, anyone on prescribed medications that can be blocked by grapefruit or pomegranate juice should advise their doctor if they are considering a raw cannabis regimen. Ditto those who are taking blood-thinning drugs such as Coumadin. Most leafy greens contain high amounts of Vitamin K, which can prevent the liver from metabolizing such drugs. and raw cannabis might, too.

Dr. Courtney recommends using 25 large fan leaves per day in juice, salsa, pesto, salad, etc.

Green Vegetables affect the blood in many ways.  

"Blood is our life from the Tree of life"

Marijuana Leaf Plays Epilepsy Cure Role 5-20-49

TAKEN FROM SALT LAKE CITY TELEGRAM 5-20-49
Marijuana Leaf Plays Epilepsy Cure Role

Drug principles isolated from leaves of marijuana, an innocent-looking plant that grows wild in different parts of the world, are playing an important role in research on a cure for epilepsy.

This is the same marijuana which so many people fear as a habit-forming drug and which is noted for the opium-like dreams it produces in those who partake of it.

The drugs being used are synthetic substances related to cannabinol, which is contained in marijuana, but does not produce the same effects. Dr. Jean P. Davis, faculty researcher at the University of Utah medical college, has done considerable research with the drugs in treatment of minor and convulsive epilepsy.

She reports that the drugs have been found effective about 50% of the time. Future for epileptics appears “very bright,” she said, “because of not only one new drug, but a whole field of new compounds to combat epileptic seizures.”

Helps Minor Seizures One of these new drugs, trimethadione, is most effective in petit mal epilepsy, minor seizures common in younger patients. Another, paramethadione, a sort of second cousin to the first, is useful in such spells.

A third compound, called phenerone, is effective in psycho-motor seizures, sudden episodes of unusual behavior, accompanied by amnesia.

Epilepsy comes in four degrees: grand mal, or pykno-epilepsy, with brief staring spells; psycho-motor, accompanied by amnesia and unusual behavior, and Jacksonian, identified by retention of consciousness with progressive twitching and numbness of one leg or arm.

Mr. Davis is in charge of a section of the psychiatric clinic at Salt Lake General hospital, where she does some clinical work. She also instructs advanced courses in the departments of pharmacology and physiology at the university.

Began in 1929 According to Dr. Davis, actual valuable research with modern methods of fighting epilepsy came into their own in 1929 with the invention of the electro-encephalograph, an instrument for recording brain activity.

And the latest of the compounds used in treatment of the affliction was developed in 1948. Meanwhile, research is advancing at a rapid pace, Dr. Davis said.

She studied for three years under Dr. William Lennox, one of the top U.S. experts on epilepsy. She received her doctor of medicine degree at Yale university in 1943.

Most of her clinical work has been confined to children, with whom she “likes to work.”

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Cannabis Tinciture for Children

Here's a real easy way to make cannabis tincture for children. Here's one way how to make it anyway:

Dry out leaf and bud.
Fill a jar with herb to 3/4.
Fill the jar with olive oil, or Coconut oil, we can even do Hemp Seed oil (organic options) leave for 2 weeks in a dark place, shaking for a minute every day.
Strain, and it is ready to use.

You can also use coconut oil.

Any bud will do. You're not heating it, so it will be THCA, good for children, as it doesn't get them high. THC does, which is heated cannabis. Sun/home grown is preferable, however hydro will do also.

This works on children and animals.

DIPG brain cancer for children update

DIPG is attacking more children and young teenagers than any other form of brain cancer I have noted. It attacks the Pons part or parts surrounding as it grows. This is part of the brain which is very close to the Pineal gland I will note and the blocking of the Pineal gland affects our DNA structure within our own bodies. Alex has had DIPG diagnosed for around 9 months odd. I notice he was commenting on Erin Griffin Raising Childhood Cancer Awareness page with the knowledge he had on teenagers diagnosed with the disease live longer. However that was not the case for Gloria's Journey with DIPG which I followed who was diagnosed and died within a week.
We have to look at the major co-incidences within the upsurge of DIPG.
we have to look at the timezone of when the SV-40 virus was in the Polio vaccine as we allegedly link from mother to child co-incidences.
DIPG is being treated around the world with upsurges in Britain, USA and Australia I have noted within the research.
We have to look at the affects of the fluoride within the countries.
We have to look at the affects of the fluoride for mother and child and passing the DNA changes we have suffered due to our own DNA manipulations by our living environment.

I have noticed within the DIPG community many of the families are health conscious. This is a good thing, yet the link within all the families allegedly could be the water supply and the chemicals which are added?

I have asked questions to many of the parents who have lost children as to whether it could relate to formula's of a child where a virus could lay dormant within the body and then expose itself with the right living conditions.

I noticed many families in the USA have been utilising the Cannabis oil since it's become available and have noted improvement or the ability for the child to stay stable with this dreaded disease it is most important.

We have to look at the GMO affects on our food crops as I did interview Gerry Tye who had Talin who died from DIPG I noticed then it is allegedly out of the hands of the normal health we eat and provide in the home environment.

Many of these children are too young to have had vast amounts of rubbish within their own diet.

We have to look at the cell structure of the tumour in the samples where many victims of this disease have donated their brain to research. This would be an interesting research to find the cell structure of the tumor as within all cancer's it mutates the chromosones within the person. It may not be the same chromosone in all cancers however it is a co-incidence with all cancers I have been studying for a number of years I have noted.

When you link the bio-weapon cancer to a virus then we have a hope for a solution to come.

When we can test the cancer cells to see the sensitivity to vitamins will in some way help with dietary function to stop these childhood illnesses.

We wait and see, pray, yet I will keep reading Alex until I find more answers for the solution. xxx

Team Alex-DIPG Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma awareness.

Update; MRI shows no changes. EEG shows no seizures. So, the question is what is it? Radiation could have cause the irritation to brain or the tumor is mad. So, what's next? Wait and see game. Can he handle bring removed from the vent only time will tell. Will attempt removal sometime tomorrow unless he responds on his own today. If he can't be removed from the vent then the tumor is the problem. What we know only time can tell. He remains in ICU. I truly hate DIPG ...

The Kings Cross Sting.... Cannabis tincture recipe Majick

To make Tincture
Cold Method (recommended)

Here is the recipe for highest quality tincture. This method does not use heat so keeps the integrity of the cannabinoids intact. 

Fill jar ¾ full of herb
Fill rest of jar with alcohol; leave some room at top, stir.
Shake jar [vigorously] one or two times a day for 2 weeks [or leave it until there is no green color left in the plant matter]
Strain through metal tea strainer or silkscreen.

You can use whatever kind of clean glass, not plastic, jar you have with a tight lid. One-quart mason jars are ideal. Grind the herb thoroughly in a blender. It should be well ground but doesn’t have to be a powder. You can use leaf, bud, shake, joint leftover, or stems. Too many stems will wreck your blender and a weaker tincture. Leaf work fine but for higher potency use shake or bud. Fill the jar ¾ full of herb; it does not have to be exact. You can use anywhere from ½ to 2/3 part herb but ¾ will make a full strength tincture. Use the highest proof alcohol you can, Everclear, which is 180 proof, but hard to find. So just use the highest proof Vodka you can find. Pour alcohol over the herb, filling the rest of the jar. Leave just enough space (an inch or so) at the top so that you will be able to shake the jar. Stir the mixture; the herb will absorb some of the alcohol so you may need to add more. Put the lid on tightly; label the contents and the date you started. It takes two weeks for the alcohol to extract all the active elements from the herb. Shake the jar once or twice a day for 2 weeks. The alcohol will rise to the top and a deep green/red color will develop. After 2 weeks of aging you can strain the tincture through a metal tea strainer or a silk screen into a small tincture bottle with a dropper. You can leave the rest in the jar if you want, it will age and mellow in flavor and you can strain off as much as you want at a time. Alcohol is a strong preservative it will hold for a long time, be careful when handling the tincture, it satins and will turn everything it comes in contact with green. Use Ultra Palmolive anti-bacterial dish soap, the orange kind, to clean the glass, metal or other ceramic utensils, (do not use plastic) sinks and counter tops works best at dissolving THC residue.

Dosage varies per individual but start with half a dropper dissolved in hot tea or water. Hot tea will dissipate some of the alcohol and activate the THC a bit. It can be taken straight but may burn the tongue and has a very strong herbal taste. [If you cut it with equal parts water, you can hold the dosage under the tongue without burning. Takes effect in seconds.]

Cannabis, Hemp the health benefits

• 

   If you are one of those people that are afraid Marijuana will be legalized then you should read this!
  Cannabis can save the world. A bold statement perhaps, but potentially true nonetheless. As a dietitian, when I look at the cannabis plant, I first see its nutritional value as a vegetable, loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. I also know that essentially cannabis is hemp, and hemp hits a home run every time when it comes to nutritional value (among its other thousands of industrial uses).
  A quick nutritional summary of hemp:
  Great source of complete protein 
  100% vegan 
  Dairy-free 
  Gluten-free 
  Easy to digest 
  High in healthy Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids 
  Wow -- what a power house!
  As a holistic healthcare professional, I recognize and highly respect the diversity of cannabis in its uses as a medicine to heal and repair both the body and the mind. It is my opinion that cannabis may not only be the best medicine, but also the most nutritious plant known to humankind thus far.
  The Nutritional Benefits of Raw Cannabis
  While the exact nutritional profile of cannabis has yet to be determined, it seems safe to assume that the cannabis plant, including the seeds, is most likely just as nutritious as hemp, if not more so.
  What’s being discovered now is the nutritional power and overall beneficial health effects of raw cannabis. Raw cannabis is not psychoactive unless heated, and it contains powerful disease-fighting compounds known as cannabinoids. Of these compounds, the most frequently studied are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).
  When used just as you would any other vegetable (in a smoothie, salad, sauté, juiced), cannabis appears to provide some pretty awesome health benefits. You may have heard of Kristen Peskuski-Courtney, a woman who struggled with multiple chronic illnesses which left her all but debilitated. After years of pharmaceutical intervention to no avail, her health dramatically improved through the power of raw cannabis juicing. The man behind this method of ingestion is Dr. William Courtney, a medical doctor and huge promoter of the “raw greens” cannabis movement.
  From Dr. Courtney: 
  “Whether Sativa, Indica, Ruderalis, male, female, hermaphrodite, native, feral, bred for fiber, seeds or medicinal resin, cannabis is the best source for [beneficial cannabinoids]...Over 50 patients have used only [cannabinoids] to put their cancer in remission; and over 150 have found symptomatic relief.”
  What does that tell you? What it says to me is that there is some powerful research being done and treatment methods being delivered out there to very sick patients, and they are all based on raw cannabis.
  Dr. Courtney has researched the benefits of raw cannabis and has come to the following conclusions:
  Smoking cannabis may not treat the disease, only the symptoms 
  Therapeutic levels of cannabinoids are better achieved through ingestion 
  When cannabis is heated or burned, the chemical structure of the plant compounds are changed, specifically the acidity of THC, which alters its ability to be therapeutic 
  Raw cannabis activates the brain’s cannabinoid system, which triggers an antioxidant release 
  These antioxidants act as a “cleaner” and remove damaged cells from the body 
  Raw cannabis improves the efficiency of the cells in our body 
  Creating oils, butters or eating the raw plant is the best way to get the necessary beneficial compounds 
  Looking to incorporate more "green" into your daily diet? If you're interested in exploring the benefits of raw cannabis, here are some tips and recommendations:
  Raw cannabis can be used every day, multiple times a day by anyone of any age. 
  Raw cannabis is not psychoactive unless it is heated, meaning there are no worries of mental or physical impairment after consuming 
  Raw cannabis can be added to smoothies, juices, and salads 
  Like any other herb or seasoning, ground up raw buds can be sprinkled on top of soups, stews, oatmeal, yogurt, or pudding 
  Juicing specifically takes a lot of material; Dr. Courtney suggests 20-30 big shade leaves or 2-3 raw buds (2-3 inches in length) per day for therapeutic benefits 
  Having your own garden at home is helpful as access to this quantity of raw product may be difficult or illegal in your state. 
  photo credit: Food Thinkers via photopin cc
  http://www.leafly.com/.../a-dietitians-perspective-on...

Cannabis Trials......Please allow us to use the miracle oil.

Coalition Government to Enable Cannabis Trials.
Media release - The Hon David Davis MLC
28 August 2014

Legislative change to enable clinical trials of medical cannabis

Supporting access to pharmaceuticals that are safe and effective

Support for properly constructed, ethical and appropriately-oversighted trials

The Victorian Coalition Government will amend the law in order to facilitate clinical trials of medical cannabis, Minister for Health David Davis said today.

An Expert Advisory Committee, composed of clinical and regulatory experts, would also be appointed to work through the complex issues of obtaining approval to trial the use of cannabis compounds in treating or relieving symptoms for a range of illnesses and conditions, Mr Davis said.

The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act will be amended to make it easier to conduct clinical trials involving cannabis and similar highly regulated substances.

Currently, the law requires medical practitioners to seek approval to treat every single patient who might be enrolled in such a trial.

Consideration may also be given to amending the legislation to remove the prohibition on cultivation of narcotic plants for therapeutic purposes in the context of approved clinical trials.

Mr Davis said allowing regulated cultivation for clinical trials in Victoria will help to ensure that the quality of the product being trialled is of an appropriate and assured standard.

“This is the right way forward. Simply declaring something legal doesn’t make it safe. Our approach is grounded in the best available scientific evidence,” Mr Davis said.

“The Napthine Government supports access to pharmaceuticals that are safe and effective, and we commit to removing barriers around safe and effective medications.”

The Therapeutic Goods Administration, the national regulatory body, has already approved one pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extract, marketed as Sativex, for treatment of symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Sativex is an oral spray derived from cannabis grown under controlled conditions.

It will be investigated through a clinical trial in Victoria and other states for treatment of pain in patients with advanced cancer. The Coalition Government supports this and other similar properly structured trials.

“The issues surrounding the use of cannabis compounds for treatment of medical conditions are extremely complex, requiring regulatory and legislative changes, but most importantly, sound medical advice,” Mr Davis said.

“The Coalition Government will work with other authorities to facilitate and support clinical trials of some of these cannabis compounds, while ensuring that they are undertaken in a safe and ethical manner.

“The Coalition Government will support a major Victorian health service importing Sativex and prescribing it as clinically indicated. The health service could also conduct clinical trials for its use to treat other conditions.”

“The Coalition Government will also put the issue on the agenda for the Council of Australian Governments Health Council in October, to ensure, where possible, that co-operative approaches to clinical trials are adopted.

Mr Davis said the Coalition Government would also enable further investigation of the medicinal use of pharmaceutical-grade product containing the cannabidiol compound.

“I will ask the advisory committee to consider the scientific evidence and ethics with a view to further research and trials in Victoria, as suggested by Professor Patrick McGorry,” Mr Davis said.

“If the advice supports this outcome, the Coalition Government will request the Commonwealth to reclassify that particular cannabis compound to allow those trials to take place more easily.

“The Coalition Government gives in-principle support to any properly constructed, ethically approved and appropriately-oversighted trial.”

Mr Davis said the Coalition Government would give in-principle support, subject to proper design, to local involvement in an international trial of Epidiolex.

This product, which will be marketed for the treatment of certain chronic childhood epilepsy conditions, is not yet approved for marketing in any country, but trials are expected next year.

Media contact: Ashley Gardiner 0427 560 438 - ashley.gardiner@minstaff.vic.gov.au

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/images/140828_Davis_-_Coalition_Government_to_enable_cannabis_trials.pdf