Tag: australia

Insomnia is a major problem around the world. Whether people suffer from insomnia as a primary condition, or it is caused by a different primary condition, an inability to fall asleep and/or stay asleep can have a massively negative impact on a person’s overall health, both physically and mentally.

When a human is sleep deprived, they become more irritable, and handling daily tasks becomes more difficult. A lack of sleep impairs brain functions such as memory and decision-making, and it can lead to depression. Physically, insomnia can impair patients’ immune systems, among other concerns.

The cannabis plant has served as a sleep aid for many insomnia sufferers over many years, and that appears to be the case in Australia according to the results of a recent survey. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Sydney, Australia: Patients frequently report consuming cannabis to treat sleep-related issues, particularly insomnia, according to survey data published in the journal Nature and Science of Sleep.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Sydney surveyed 1,600 Australians regarding their use of medical cannabis.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed acknowledged consuming cannabis to mitigate symptoms of a sleep disorder, typically insomnia.

Most respondents said that cannabis greatly improved their sleep quality. A majority of respondents also said that they decreased their consumption of benzodiazepines and alcohol following their use of cannabis – a finding that is consistent with other studies.

Those who reported consuming cannabis were most likely to acknowledge using THC-dominant cannabis products.

“[Our study] shows that the majority of participants reported an improvement in their subjective sleep symptoms since commencing medical cannabis,” authors concluded. “[I]t is imperative that randomized, placebo-controlled trials using quality-assured products are conducted to better understand the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid treatment in patients with clinician-diagnosed sleep disorders.”

The survey’s findings are similar to those of numerous other studies documenting that patients with insomnia and other sleep disorders report subjective improvements following cannabis use. Data published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine reported that the enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization laws is associated with a significant reduction in the sales of over-the-counter sleep aids among the general public.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis use patterns for sleep disorders in Australia: Results of the cross-sectional CAMS-20 survey,” appears in Nature and Science of Sleep. Additional information on the use of cannabis for insomnia is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Neurological disorders affect many people around the globe. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 1 billion people across the globe suffer from some type of neurological disorder. People over 50 years old are more likely to develop a neurological condition compared to younger people.

Neurological disorders are diseases that affect the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscles.

Various pharmaceutical medications are regularly prescribed to help address symptoms of neurological conditions among elderly patients. Just as symptoms are wide-ranging, so too are the medications. One medication that is showing promise is cannabis, as demonstrated in a recent study out of Australia. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Sydney, Australia: The use of plant-derived cannabis oils containing balanced ratios of THC and CBD is generally safe and effective for patients suffering from neurological diseases, according to observational trial data published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

Australian researchers assessed the sustained use of cannabis extracts in 157 patients with treatment-resistant neurological, musculoskeletal, autoimmune, or anti-inflammatory disorders. (Under Australian law, physicians may only authorize medical cannabis to patients that have been unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.)

Investigators reported that patients age 65 or older and/or those suffering from neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy, and multiple sclerosis, perceived the greatest overall benefits from cannabis therapy. Their findings are consistent with those of several other studies reporting health-related quality of life benefits among older patients who consume cannabis.

Subjects were most likely to report cannabis to be effective for improving sleep and for reducing pain – findings that are consistent with other studies. By contrast, patients suffering from spondylosis were least likely to perceive benefits from cannabis therapy.

Authors concluded: “This retrospective medical record review describes the population characteristics of patients using medicinal cannabis at a clinic in Sydney, Australia and provides data on the effectiveness and safety of medicinal cannabis treatment on patient conditions and indications. … [Its findings] indicate that medicinal cannabis, in a balanced formulation, may address a variety of non-cancer conditions and indications concurrently and can be safely prescribed by a medical doctor.”

Full text of the study, “A retrospective medical record review of adults with non-cancer diagnoses prescribed medical cannabis,” appears in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Additional information on cannabis use among older populations is available from NORML Fact Sheet ‘Cannabis Use by Older Populations.’

Cannabis opponents do their best to try to lump cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke into the same category, and to be fair, it’s something that many people accept unless they have looked at the body of research on the topic.

Anyone that has researched cannabis smoke versus tobacco smoke knows that they are not the same, and that tobacco smoke is demonstrably worse for consumers compared to cannabis smoke for various reasons.

A recent study conducted in Australia found that cannabis smoke exposure is not associated with impaired lung function among consumers. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

South Brisbane, Australia: The long-term inhalation of cannabis smoke does not impact lung function in the same manner as inhaling tobacco, according to longitudinal data published in the journal Respiratory Medicine.

A team of Australian researchers evaluated the impact of tobacco smoking and cannabis smoking on lung function in a cohort of 30-year-old subjects. Study participants began smoking cannabis, tobacco, or both as young adults. Pulmonary performance was evaluated at age 21 and at age 30 via a spirometry assessment.

Researchers reported that cigarette-only smokers “already showed evidence of impaired lung function” at age 30. By contrast, “those who have [only] used cannabis ever since the adolescent period do not appear to have evidence of impairment of lung function.” Specifically, investigators identified airflow obstructions in the lungs of cigarette-only smokers, but they observed no such obstructions in cannabis-only subjects.

Authors further acknowledged, “Co-use of tobacco and cannabis does not appear to predict lung function beyond the effects of tobacco use alone.”

They concluded, “Cannabis use does not appear to be related to lung function even after years of use.”

The findings are consistent with those of numerous other studies reporting that cannabis smoke exposure, even long-term, is not predictive of the sort of significant adverse pulmonary effects that are consistently associated with tobacco.

Consumers who wish to mitigate or eliminate their exposure to combustive smoke may do so via an herbal vaporizer, which heats cannabinoids to the point of vaporization but below the point of combustion. In clinical trials, herbal vaporizers have been found to be a “safe and effective” cannabinoid delivery device.

Full text of the study, “Do tobacco and cannabis use and co-use predict lung function: A longitudinal study,” appears in Respiratory Medicine. Additional information is available from NORML’s Fact Sheet, ‘Cannabis Exposure and Lung Health.’

Oral cannabis products have grown in popularity and availability in recent years. Many patients still prefer to consume medical cannabis in edible or inhaled form, however, some patients need to have smokeless options in forms that do not require chewing and other effort that is hard for some patients.

Many oral cannabis products have a long shelf life, are easy to transport and store, and provide a specific dosage of cannabinoids that many patients’ conditions and situations require. Oral cannabis products are not for every patient in every situation, yet they are a great option for many.

One lingering question that accompanies any new form of medicine is, ‘is it safe and effective?’ A team of researches in Australia recently explored the long-term safety and efficacy of oral cannabis products and the results were encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Western Australia, Australia: Patients authorized to consume plant-derived oral cannabis products show sustained improvements in their symptoms, according to longitudinal data published in the journal PLOS One.

Researchers assessed the long-terms safety and efficacy of oral cannabis products in a cohort of nearly 4,000 Australian patients authorized to use them. Study participants were naïve to cannabis prior to their enrollment in the trial. The majority of the study’s subjects (64 percent) suffered from chronic pain conditions. All of the study’s participants consumed oral cannabis products for a period of two years.

Investigators reported: “This is the largest and longest real-world analysis of the efficacy and safety of GMP [good manufacturing practices]-like oral medicinal cannabis (MC) in a continuous enrolment cohort registry. 3,961 heterogenous, cannabis naïve patients with a wide range of ages, clinical and complex conditions, and concomitant medications, prescribed oral MC, demonstrated a rapid and significant improvement across all measured patient and clinical reported validated outcomes. … Oral MC was well tolerated. … This safety is particularly salient in contrast to the safety and tolerability of prescribed long-term opioids.”

They concluded, “This large Australian longitudinal cohort registry of cannabis naïve, complex chronic disease patients treated with oral MC for over 24 consecutive months, demonstrates safety of oral generic medicinal cannabis, and demonstrated oral MC improves patient and clinician reported impact of pain, sleep and well-being.”

An estimated 100,000 Australians have been prescribed cannabis products following the enactment of legal changes in 2016 providing patients with regulatory access to medical marijuana products.

Full text of the study, “A large Australian longitudinal cohort registry demonstrates sustained safety and efficacy of oral medicinal cannabis for at least two years,” appears in PLOS One.

When cannabis opponents speak out against cannabis they incorporate a variety of talking points, with some being more ridiculous than others. It seems as if some opponents will do or say just about anything to portray cannabis use in a negative fashion.

One argument that seems to be deployed at an increasing rate is that ‘cannabis causes hangovers.’ In an example of the sad hypocrisy that often accompanies anti-cannabis propaganda, very rarely, if ever, do those same cannabis opponents call for an end to alcohol sales due to hangovers.

Furthermore, while there is ample evidence that alcohol use can result in hangovers, researchers in Australia have found that the same is not true for cannabis, despite what cannabis opponents may claim. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

New South Wales, Australia: The majority of available data fails to support claims that cannabis may potentially impact either cognitive function or subjects’ performance of safety sensitive tasks 24 hours after consumption, according to a review of the scientific literature published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

A team of Australian researchers reviewed data from 20 studies involving 458 subjects. Selected studies assessed subjects’ performance 12 to 24 hours following THC dosing.

Investigators failed to identify any evidence of so-called THC-specific “next-day effects” in 16 of the 20 studies reviewed.

They concluded: “A small number of lower-quality studies have observed negative (i.e., impairing) ‘next day’ effects of THC on cognitive function and safety-sensitive tasks. However, higher-quality studies, and a large majority of performance tests, have not. Overall, it appears that there is limited scientific evidence to support the assertion that cannabis use impairs ‘next day’ performance.”

Authors further opined that the imposition of workplace drug testing policies that detect the long-term presence of cannabis metabolites and impose sanctions upon those who test positive for them are arguably not justified by the available data.

Full text of the study, “The ‘next day’ effects of cannabis use: A systematic review,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Additional information is available in NORML’s fact sheet, ‘Marijuana Legalization and Impact on the Workplace.’

One of the most promising areas of cannabis research in recent years involves cannabidiol (CBD) and autism. A number of peer-reviewed studies have found that CBD can be an effective treatment for people diagnosed with autism, including children.

The topic of cannabis and children is unfortunately the target of significant stigma. To some degree, concern regarding cannabis and children is understandable given that some cannabinoids can yield psychoactive effects, however, CBD is not one of those.

Every suffering patient deserves to have safe access to effective forms of medicine, and that includes children and CBD if a medical professional and the children’s parents determine that CBD is part of a proper medication strategy. A recent study in Australia found promising results for CBD and children diagnosed with autism. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Melbourne, Australia: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show significant improvements in their symptoms following the use of plant-derived CBD dominant extracts, according to phase 1 trial results reported by Australian media.

Patients in the trial consumed extracts containing CBD and other non-THC phyto-cannabinoids twice daily for a period of at least two months. Researchers affiliated with the study said that patients experienced significant changes in communication and socialization skills, among other symptom improvements. Side-effects were minimal.

The findings are consistent with several other studies similarly reporting improvements in pediatric patients’ ASD symptoms following the use of cannabinoid products, particularly CBD-rich extracts. Survey data published in 2021 by Autism Parenting Magazine reported that 22 percent of US caregivers or parents have provided CBD to an autistic child. Survey data from the United Kingdom recently reported that autistic adults were nearly four times as likely as controls to report having used CBD within the past year.

Additional information on cannabis and ASD is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

One area of cannabis research that is of particular interest to people around the globe, and for obvious reasons, pertains to how the cannabis plant can be used to help people suffering from cancer. It’s one of the most intriguing, and yet also controversial topics in the cannabis world.

A growing body of peer-reviewed research is finding that the cannabis plant can help effectively treat cancer and related symptoms. It is important to differential between the claim that ‘cannabis can help treat cancer’ versus ‘cannabis cures cancer.’

Many personal patient experiences back up the claim that cannabis may cure cancer, in some instances. However, it is a very cruel thing to tell someone that is suffering from cancer that something, cannabis included, will absolutely cure their cancer, guaranteed. After all, nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to medicine and treatment regimens.

More research needs to be conducted, and hopefully one day there is a cure found for cancer, and if the cure does indeed prove to involve cannabis, that would be amazing. Until that time, the cannabis plant can still do other things to help suffering cancer patients, including when it comes to pain management.

A recent study out of Australia examined a specific cannabis spray to see if it helped treat cancer patients experiencing refractory pain, and the results of the study are encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

New South Wales, Australia: Terminal cancer patients with refractory pain respond favorably to a proprietary cannabis spray containing equal ratios of plant-derived THC and CBD, according to data published in the journal PLOS One.

A team of Australian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of a novel water-soluble oro-buccal nanoparticle spray containing 2.5 mgs of THC and 2.5 mgs of CBD in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer and intractable pain.

Researchers reported that cannabis dosing was associated with improvements in pain relief among all patients, with those patients suffering from bone metastasis experiencing the greatest levels of relief. No serious adverse events were reported, though some patients did experience drowsiness following treatment.

Patients also reported improvements in appetite and emotional well-being.

“This study demonstrated that the administration of the investigative cannabis-based medicine was generally safe and tolerated in a short-term exposure in a cohort of patients with advanced incurable cancers with controlled pain or intractable pain despite opioid treatment,” authors concluded. “There was a reduction in pain overall for the study cohort of 12 percent by the end of the treatment phase. … [This] cannabis-based medicine … is of significant clinical interest given that this formulation was a self-titrated medicine, that showed preliminary analgesic efficacy in a subgroup of patients.”

Full text of the study, “Pilot clinical and pharmacokinetic study of delat-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol nanoparticle oro-buccal spray in patients with advanced cancer experiencing uncontrolled pain,” appears in PLOS One. Additional information on cannabis for pain mitigation is available from NORML.