Swinburne University of Technology's Dr Thomas Arkell will lead a five-year, three-part medicinal cannabis study, funded by a A$688,000 grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The study is designed to address gaps in the current body of knowledge around the drug and its role in society. Swinburne psychopharmacologist Dr Arkell will scrutinise Australia's medicinal cannabis framework to assess whether it is grounded in evidence and fit for purpose.
The three-part approach will feed into road safety policy, identify shortcomings in Australia's medicinal cannabis prescribing model and their effects on patients, and evaluate how effective the medicine is for treating chronic pain.
He said: "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."
The project was announced by Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler and will receive funding as part of a broader investment of more than $422 million through the NHMRC's investigator grants scheme.
Dr Arkell added: "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."
