Medical cannabis mysteries to be unlocked by new five-year NHMRC project

With more than half a million Australians projected to be using medical cannabis by 2030, a new Swinburne-led medical cannabis investigation aims to help close the knowledge gap surrounding the drug and its potential in society.

Supported by a $688,000 NHMRC Investigator Grant over five years, Swinburne psychopharmacologist Dr Thomas Arkell, will take a more critical look at Australia’s medical cannabis framework to ensure it is evidence-based and fit for purpose. 

Dr Arkell’s three-pronged investigation will inform updating road safety policies, identify gaps in Australia’s medical cannabis prescribing model and the impact on patients, and determine the efficacy of medical cannabis for chronic pain.

“We have a unique situation where medical cannabis is now relatively easy to access, but our evidence base is not where it needs to be, and patient care is not always the priority.” 

“Medical cannabis shows a lot of therapeutic potential, and patients often say that it really helps them, but our understanding of how cannabis can best be used as a medicine is still in its infancy.”

Announced by the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, the Swinburne project is one of those that will share in an investment of over $422 million under the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Investigator Grants scheme.

Investigator Grants provide the highest-performing researchers at all career stages with consolidated funding and a significant research support package.

Dr Arkell says that hundreds of thousands of Australians are now using prescribed medical cannabis, most often for chronic pain which is notoriously difficult to treat.  

“This project will dive into some key questions that are very relevant for health and road safety policy. Are patients using medical cannabis safe to drive? What does optimal patient-centred prescribing look like? How well does cannabis work for chronic pain, and which bit of the plant works best?”

“These are not straightforward questions; cannabis is a plant with very complex pharmacology that we are only just starting to understand.”