The lowdown on medicinal marijuana Is it really the pain relief miracle we’ve been waiting for?

Now that it’s legal, is it really the pain relief miracle we’ve been waiting for? Some experts are saying yes. Stephanie Osfield investigates.

At the Academy Awards earlier this year, A-listers Melissa McCarthy and Michelle Williams were reported to rub cannabis-infused cream into their heels to beat the pain of teetering along the red carpet in sky-high heels. What’s more, star presenters at the event were offered goodie bags filled with cannabis-infused bath bombs and moisturiser. Marijuana, is the hot new wellness ingredient, and since it was legalised in California, it’s been creating a big buzz and blazing a trail in medicine, where it’s being hailed as a potential treatment for everything from anxiety and arthritis, to broken bones and irritable bowel. Lady Gaga uses it to relieve hip pain, while Whoopi Goldberg takes it to ease her glaucoma symptoms – and recently released her own line of medicinal cannabis products to blitz menstrual pain. Meanwhile, Olivia Newton-John has credited medicinal cannabis with helping her manage her breast cancer. At her California home, cannabis, to relieve her nausea and pain, is grown in pots.

In California, people can de-stress over a cannabis smoothie or latte at their local cafe, but in Australia, marijuana is only legal as medicinal cannabis, and available only on prescription under strict guidelines. To keep you ahead of the curve, here’s everything you need to know:

How does cannabis work?

While studying the effects of marijuana in the 1980s and ’90s, scientists made an amazing breakthrough. They discovered a natural communication network in our bodies called the endocannabinoid system, which can affect our mood, thinking, immunity and sleep. Like a tree with long-reaching roots, it has receptors all over your body – in your tissues, organs, brain and nervous system. In fact, you have more receptors for cannabinoids than serotonin (the happiness hormone) and opioids (such as painkillers). Though your body produces some cannabinoids naturally, and you can boost levels through foods such as chocolate and turmeric, medicinal

cannabis contains about 140 different varieties, so it’s a rich source. It’s been shown to benefit health by reducing issues like inflammation, stress and pain, while relaxing both your muscles and mind.

Will it make me ‘high’?

Recreational cannabis contains high levels of a chemical called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – the chemical that makes people feel “high”. Medicinal cannabis has much lower THC levels, or sometimes none at all, so it doesn’t usually make people giggly or “stoned”. Instead, it’s made from strains of the marijuana plant that have higher levels of CBD (cannabidiol), which is showing plenty of promise for treating the symptoms of many health problems.

“As well as treating issues like seizures and nausea, there are really exciting signs that CBD may be effective for other conditions, such as anxiety, schizophrenia, dementia and chronic pain,” says Professor Iain McGregor, Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative

for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at Sydney University. “Many people around the world are now taking low CBD doses as a general health tonic, and the long-term benefits of doing this is a red-hot research question.”

What health problems is cannabis prescribed for here?

In Australia, medicinal cannabis is only approved for certain conditions, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer (to alleviate nausea and pain) and anorexia (to increase appetite). The law will allow it to be approved to treat other health issues, if you can produce evidence of studies that show it has proven benefits for that health problem.

Many trials are currently underway in Australia into the benefits of cannabis for a range of conditions, including its benefits for insomnia, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and brain cancer. “Before you can be given a script for cannabis, you need to have tried the other usual treatments for that health problem and found they didn’t work, or you couldn’t tolerate their side effects,” says Dr Vicki Kotsirilos, a Melbourne-based doctor who was the first GP authorised to prescribe cannabis in Australia.

For example, a person with disabling chronic back pain would need their doctor to show that they have tried all other pain relievers and medications before applying to use CBD.

How do you take it?

Most people swallow cannabis oil in small, measured doses that usually range from 1mg to 10mg. Or they inhale cannabis oil through a vaporiser or a nasal spray. People can also take it as a tincture under the tongue, rub a cannabis gel into sore joints, or suck on cannabis lozenges for quick pain relief. Unfortunately, medicinal cannabis is not on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) yet, so one 200ml bottle of CBD oil can cost around $180 to $250.

Because of this, research shows a growing number of people are smoking illegal cannabis for health reasons. “This is not a good idea because then you get all the risks that go with tobacco smoking, like cancer and heart disease,” Dr Kotsirilos says. “By contrast, medicinal cannabis is legally produced by companies so the potency, ingredients and quality are consistent, and people can be confident they’re getting the right dose every time they take it.”

Are there any side effects?

Like prescription medications, medicinal cannabis can cause side effects, including drowsiness, dizziness, loss of balance, nausea and vomiting, decreased or increased appetite, a dry mouth and diarrhoea. “Just as painkillers come in different varieties and strengths, cannabis products vary in composition and potency,” Dr Kotsirilos explains. “Some people experience no side effects at all, while others find that their side effects can be reduced just by trying a different dose or taking an oil with a different ratio of CBD to THC.” As cannabis can reduce concentration and reaction times, it’s illegal to drive after taking medicinal cannabis with THC.

How does it affect memory and mood?

Some people find medicinal cannabis can affect their memory or thinking. “But widely used prescription drugs, such as Valium and Stilnox, can also have these kinds of side effects,” Prof McGregor says. “Surprisingly, there’s now considerable interest in using medicinal cannabis to treat dementia. Early research suggests it may protect the ageing brain, reducing agitation, and boosting brain function. CBD is also showing great promise as a drug to treat anxiety.”

What’s next?

Specialist cannabis clinics are already starting to spring up all over Australia to provide easier access to this new “wonder cure”. “As more studies confirm its benefits, it’s likely that medicinal cannabis may be approved for a wider range of conditions in the next decade,” Dr Kotsirilos agrees. This is likely to then pave the way for over-the-counter products like cannabis-infused tampons (to reduce period cramps), gummy bears (to help you sleep) and cough medicine

(to relax a tickly throat).