Page 58 - Tropic Magazine Issue 28

TROPIC • HEALTH

A different

approach to

dementia

MEDICINE
Tropic columnist Dr Alex
Bernhardi shares her
insight into medicinal cannabis
and its potential benefit to
dementia patients.

Cannabis has a long and wide history of My impression so far is that for the need to be carried by the patient.
medicinal use and was extensively used majority of patients, medicinal cannabis Patients are also not allowed to drive
in Western medicine from 1840 to 1937, at is helping with the symptoms of their while taking medicinal cannabis.
which point it became prohibited. condition without causing undue
In Queensland, licensed medical side effects. Why medicinal cannabis is a
practitioners are able to apply to the They appear to be more comfortable, safer alternative
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) more content, and less anxious. The While medicinal cannabis obtained on a
to access medicinal cannabis for patients feedback we get from relatives is quite script is legal, growing your own plants
after conventional (first-line) treatments encouraging as well. or buying it off the street is illegal in
have failed. While rigorous studies are However, finding the right dosing and the Queensland. And while the cost might
still lacking or sparse, it’s considered right balance between CBD and THC is a make it a less preferred product for some
a possible treatment for a variety of highly individualised process and takes people, there are good reasons
conditions including chronic pain, time as well as a whole team approach. for the medicinal version (apart from
multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s the obvious).
dementia, Parkinson’s disease, migraine How it’s administered Cannabis cultivated for medicinal
headaches and many more. The preparation I’m using is an oil purposes undergoes rigid testing to
liquid, which is easy to administer with avoid contamination with pesticides and
What is it exactly? food. In most cases, only a couple of other harmful chemicals.
Medicinal cannabis is derived from the drops or less than 1ml is needed. The The final end product always contains
cannabis plant, which many people frequency is either twice or three times stable amounts of specific cannabinoid
know as marijuana or hemp. Medicinal daily, depending on the formula and the compounds, which is important to get
cannabis products contain specified individual needs. The onset of action reliable and predictable results.
amounts of the plant’s main ingredients varies between 30 to 90 minutes and
– delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) duration of effect is between four and Overall, I think medicinal cannabis is
and cannabidiol (CBD). eight hours. an exciting addition to our toolbox,
Experts believe these two compounds and with time and more research, I’m
help to regulate (or balance) a variety of The drawbacks of hopeful it will obtain its rightful place in
functions – including sleep, appetite, medicinal cannabis modern society.
pain, and immune system response As it’s a new field, GPs first need to
– by interacting with the body’s own familiarise themselves with the available Warm regards,
endocannabinoid system. products, dosing regime and application
process. This can be a lengthy process and Dr Alex
My own professional experience involves more than filling in a
I’ve started to use medicinal cannabis for quick script.
some residents living in a nursing home Medicinal cannabis is not financially
with dementia, suffering from chronic supported by the Pharmaceutical Benefits MORE: doctoralex.com.au
pain, restlessness, and anxiety. Scheme (PBS) system either, so costs

58 • Tropic • Issue 28