Pubdate: Fri, 29 Aug 2014
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2014 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5
Authors: Julia Medew, Josh Gordon, Henrietta Cook
Page: 6

Drug Laws

Coalition Reform Will Do Little, Say Experts

MARIJUANA TRIAL PLAN PANNED AS NONSENSE

A Victorian government plan to make clinical trials of medicinal 
marijuana easier to conduct will do little to expand access to the 
drug, an expert on drug law reform says.

In response to growing calls for cannabis to be legalised for people 
with certain illnesses, including children with intractable epilepsy, 
Victorian Health Minister David Davis said on Thursday that he would 
amend the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act to make it 
easier for doctors to conduct clinical trials of medicinal cannabis.

He would also consider removing a prohibition on the "cultivation of 
narcotic plants for therapeutic purposes in the context of approved 
clinical trials" and gave " in principle" support for Victorians to 
be part of an international trial of Epidiolex - a cannabis-based 
pharmaceutical being tested overseas in children with epilepsy. 
However, it is unclear when such a trial could begin.

While the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association 
welcomed the government's approach, some doctors questioned what, if 
anything, would change given a cannabis pharmaceutical - Sativex - is 
already being used in clinical trials in Australia. Cancer patients 
at the Royal Melbourne Hospital have been receiving it in a trial 
since 2012 to see if it eases difficult-to-treat pain.

Leading psychiatrist Pat McGorry, who is planning to trial a compound 
of cannabis thought to treat psychosis - cannabidiol - said he did 
not know of any major barriers to conducting clinical trials of 
cannabis- based pharmaceuticals in Victoria.

" My perception is that it should be possible already, especially if 
it's synthetic," Professor McGorry said.

President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation and addiction 
medicine specialist Alex Wodak described the Coalition's announcement 
as " nonsense", saying, " It sounds good, but if you look at the 
small print, it's really nothing. This might benefit 10 people in 
Victoria in five years' time."

While Sativex has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods 
Administration for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and is being 
tested in a small group of cancer patients in a clinical trial, Dr 
Wodak said it is very unlikely that doctors would prescribe the drug 
to others wanting it for other conditions for which it might be useful.

Furthermore, an Australian National Council on Drugs report on 
medicinal cannabis published this week said that while pharmaceutical 
companies could continue to apply to the TGA for cannabis products to 
be used for particular conditions, approval takes a "significant 
length of time" and Australia's small market for such products may 
not offer sufficient incentive to manufacturers.

Mr Davis' announcement follows Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews' 
election promise to legalise access to medical marijuana for 
Victorians with life-threatening conditions.

The debate comes as Mullaways Medical Cannabis director Tony Bower - 
who supplies cannabis oil to more than 150 families - was sentenced 
to 12 months' jail in a NSW court on Thursday.
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