The well researched article by Martin and Bonomo1 may provide the Australian government with the kind of safety and efficacy data mandatory for all new drugs marketed to human populations. However, the authors did not discuss the efficacy of cannabis compared with that of accepted safe medicines; this applies to most of the indications that have been alleged but not proven for cannabis, including pain, spasticity, anticonvulsant action, weight gain and antiglaucoma agents.
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- University of Western Australia, Perth, WA
Correspondence: sreece@bigpond.net.au
- 1. Martin JH, Bonomo YA. Medicinal cannabis in Australia: the missing links. Med J Aust 2016; 204: 371-373. <MJA full text>
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- 3. Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research and Innovation [website]. Medicinal Cannabis Compassionate Use Scheme. Sydney: New South Wales Government; 2016. https://www.medicinalcannabis.nsw.gov.au/regulation/medicinal-cannabis-compassionate-use-scheme (accessed Sept 2016).
- 4. Volkow ND, Baler RD, Compton WM, Weiss SRB. Adverse health effects of marijuana use. N Engl J Med 2014; 370: 2219-2227.
- 5. Reece AS, Hulse GK. Chromothripsis and epigenomics complete causality criteria for cannabis- and addiction-connected carcinogenicity, congenital toxicity and heritable genotoxicity. Mutat Res 2016; 789: 15-25.
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