Page 59 - Tropic Magazine Issue 28

TROPIC • HEALTH

Growing access

to medicinal

cannabis It’s important that we build on our knowledge about how
medicinal cannabis can have a positive impact on many
MEDICINE diseases and medical conditions and I’d urge Queensland to
continue to be a leader in this field.
Tropic spoke to local Warren Entsch, Member for Leichhardt
pharmacist Frank Pappalardo
about medicinal cannabis
prescriptions, products and These products vary in levels of both CBD can be gained within 24-48 hours.”
According to the TGA, there are “no
and THC, and cost anywhere between
access in Cairns. $110 and $375, depending on restrictions on the medical conditions”
the formulation. for which a prescriber may apply to
Words: Annabel Bowles
Frank Pappalardo, Pharmacist at access an unapproved medicinal cannabis
Since medicinal cannabis was legalised in WholeLife, believes medicinal use of product for their patient.
Australia in 2016, Queensland has led the Though it’s widely known to relieve
way in granting access to the green. chronic pain and cancer-related
The latest government data shows there’s symptoms, Frank said medicinal
been more prescriptions approved in Each case and ultimately cannabis can be used to treat a much
our state than almost all other states and larger list of conditions.
territories combined. medical condition is “Each case and ultimately medical
Queensland has recorded almost 40,000 assessed and can gain condition is assessed and can
Special Access Category B approvals in gain approval if justified by the
the past four years, compared to 21,000 in approval if justified by the prescribing doctor,” he said.
NSW and 16,000 in Victoria. prescribing doctor “Patients report many benefits of CBD,
This number is more than NSW, Victoria, from relieving insomnia, anxiety,
SA, ACT, Tasmania and the NT combined, Frank Pappalardo spasticity and pain to treating
while WA recorded 6,589 approvals in the WholeLife potentially life-threatening conditions
Pharmacy &
same period. Healthfoods such as epilepsy.
Looking at the matter locally, Cairns “In particular, medicinal marijuana
Doctors on Barr Street has GPs and cannabis will only continue to grow. appears to ease the pain of multiple
staff with over two years’ experience in “It’s already becoming more widely sclerosis (and nerve pain in general)
prescribing medicinal cannabis. accepted as a treatment option both off- where few other treatment options exist.
Pease Street WholeLife Pharmacy and label and for proven indicated use,” Frank “Medicinal marijuana can also be utilised
Healthfoods also has several pharmacists told Tropic. as a muscle relaxant, and may lessen
who are TGA approved and practised “I believe this will only become easier, tremors in Parkinson’s disease or other
suppliers of medicinal cannabis. more widely accepted and ultimately movement disorders.”
The pharmacy also has the largest range available with more long-term data to
of medicinal cannabis products in Cairns, demonstrate its therapeutic uses.
including plant-derived cannabinoids in “There are now over 100 different
liquid (oils or tinctures) and raw plant- cannabis products available to prescribe MORE: wholelife.com.au
derived material (floss or bud). and the Special Access Scheme approval

There’s been over
80,000 successful
applications for use
of medicinal cannabis
since the TGA started
the Special Access
Scheme in 2016.
Almost 56,000 of those
have been in the last 12
months.

59 • tropicnow.com.au