Growing evidence supports the benefits of cannabis for patients suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis.

The spray form of cannabis called Sativex has already been approved in Canada and the UK for treatment for multiple sclerosis spasticity and is in its third phase in both the US and UK for cancer pain relief.

The benefits of cannabis for medicinal purposes have long been a point of discussion around the world. Dr Brian Le, a palliative medicine specialist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, stated that the world wide study aimed to enhance the care of patients that were unable to benefit from conventional pain relief. 

The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has been directly involved by helping to find suitable candidates for the study. Director of Pain and Palliative Care, Dr Odette Spruyt, says the study started around April this year but it is still five years off being put into general use,  ‘We’re pleased with the study but being an international project it will still take another few years to complete and a few more years to get the licensing … At this point we can only call it the ‘study drug’ because its only seven weeks into a very long process’ said Dr Spruyt.  

Read more on the Australia edition of ehospice.