AUSTRALIA'S peak medical cannabis industry group, the Medical Cannabis Council (MCC), today said the Royal Australian College of Physicians' (RACP) reticence towards medical cannabis "disregards patient and international experience".
In its recent paper on the use of cannabinoids, published in the MJA (PD 19 Feb), the RACP stated there was a need for more research and testing before doctors prescribed medical cannabis to patients.
The MJA has declared it has "no conflicts of interest in regard to the issue of medicinal cannabis".
The MCC said in a statement that while it "agrees more research, testing and proper approval processes are required to continue to support the already robust case for cannabis as a therapeutic good, the RACP's prohibitive stance on life-saving medication sends the wrong message and may hinder the important progress already made on medical cannabis".
The Medical Cannabis Council said it was "disappointing the RACP's perspective comes at a time when Australians who are desperate for access to medical cannabis are finding this legal product nearly unattainable due to complex access".
MCC board member and cardiologist Dr Ross Walker said the benefits of medical cannabis were well known.
"All the trials to date have been supportive of medical cannabis as effective in the treatment of epilepsy, pain and other conditions," Walker said.
Although he acknowledged there had not yet been any "gold standard" (large, long term, randomised, double blind) clinical trials in this field, "medical cannabis has been proven to work for patients with various conditions".
University of Sydney's Professor Iain McGregor was quoted saying the RACP failed to mention the benefits of medical cannabis in slowing down opiate use.
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