Opinion: AU/NZ College of Anaesthetists Position Statement On the Use of Medicinal Cannabis

My opinion on the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists position statement on the use of medical cannabis for non-cancer chronic pain: Unbalanced, uninformed and hypocritical.

Last week, the Faculty of Pain Management at the Australian and New Zealand’s College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) published guidance for health practitioners recommending against the prescription of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). We’ve seen a number of similar reviews over the last few years in both Australia and Canada and they continue to follow the same playbook. I weigh-in on the latest one in this video. I also encourage you to check out the balanced and very well-researched analysis written by Rhys Cohen here: https://www.cannabiz.com.au/medicinal-cannabis-and-chronic-pain-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence-of-absence/

Remember: “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”

Continuing the Conversation: Medical Cannabis in Long-Term Care

I wanted to continue the conversation about cannabinoid therapy in long term care this week by sharing some insights from my colleague Kim Van Dam, Administrator at Steeves & Rozema’s Trillium Villa. 

Here she talks about the outcomes we’ve seen in successfully reducing narcotic and antipsychotic use amongst residents living with chronic pain and dementia.

Trillium Villa is one of Ontario’s first LTC residences to introduce cannabinoid therapy and the first home that I worked in several years ago. I continue to work with Kim and the forward-thinking & dedicated S&R team to this day and have been excited by the number of like-minded long term care organizations and in-house physicians who have reached out to learn more about whether it could benefit their residents/patients.

Patient Testimonial - Kathy | Chronic Pain

“I was experiencing hip pain for almost a year. My quality of life was greatly compromised. No amount of chiropractic was working. Massage therapy would last an hour and then I would be right back where I started. I was taking narcotics which upset my stomach and caused constipation. Anti-inflammatories were of no benefit. The pain during the day would prevent me from taking walks and riding my bike. I would toss and turn all night, never getting a restful sleep. I started cannabinoid therapy and within one month I was feeling substantially better! I am returning to all the activities I love. I am so grateful for this relief. I just regret I didn’t see Dr. Pearson sooner.” -- Kathy 

Chronic pain is one of the most common diagnoses I see in my practice. It can make life unbearable and impact people’s ability to carry out every day activities. It can also impact sleep and lead to depression over time. 

This is a real challenge for physicians, as there aren’t a lot of quality, evidence-based pain management options at our disposal. Cannabinoid-based medicine offers an evidence-based, multimodal treatment option with a lower risk of harm than most other pain management options.