Cannabis Oil Pain Relief !

For years we have been hearing claims from people suffering unbearable pain that Cannabis oil brings relief not available from other drugs.  Unfortunately this is still shunned by many doctors, the vast majority of whom are still to write their first Cannabis oil script.

The problem is that Cannabis  is derived from Marijuana and that is a prohibited drug subjected to draconian penalties. Doctors are conservative and they fear their reputation will be tainted.  It is only recently that Cannabis oil has received qualified official approval as a product.

Now a new company is building a plantation near Armidale in New South Wales for the commercial production of Cannabis oil.  This is the first commercial manufacturing license to be granted in this state and there is the expectation that the product will both advance locally and become a major export.

Research shows Cannabis oil is effective for the relief of chronic pain and it has been licensed for the treatment of both cancer and fibromyalgia.  Trials indicate it is effective as a treatment for managing seizures and epilepsy, anxiety, anorexia and post traumatic stress disorders. which include multiple sclerosis and movement disorders.

Interestingly, the TGA has recently released an interim decision to downgrade medical cannabis from schedule 4 to schedule 3, which would allow low dose products to be sold over the counter at pharmacies. Cannabis had two main chemical components.  THC is the main psychoactive ingredient that gives users their " high " and cannabidiol - or CBD - which does not have that psychoactive effect.  Both components are used in different levels of treatment.

It seems that Cannabis oil is fairly freely available in the drug contraband world. Analysis by the government suggests that there are 600,000 people self medicating from black market sources and just 30,000 being serviced by the legitimate market.  On that basis, this new manufacturer has a potential customer base of 570,000 people just waiting for their product to hit the pharmacy shelves.

That is probably why our conservative doctors are so reluctant to embrace. this proven method of pain relief.  They fear being tainted with that " soft on drugs " slur and so they write scripts for the highly addictive opioids.  When opioids first appeared on the market their addictive qualities were masked and patients became very insistent on demanding repeats. Doctors trying to bring change to a softer drug faced the challenge of angry patients and a change of supplier to a more compliant doctor.

It is possible that medical Cannabis may fill that vacuum.  Since 1992 , 61,000 approvals have been granted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and most of these have been in the past few years. Pressure is building to end the opioid scourge and Cannabis oil would be hailed as a new wonder drug if it was not associated with Marijuana.

Sadly, the criminal element responsible for the drug trade saw and acted on the market potential when the medical profession didn't.  That is now fast changing and supply has gained the respectability it deserves. Another milestone in the battle against severe pain !