Dr Fiona HuttonAssociate Professor at the Institute of CriminologyDirector Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University, Wellington Dr Geoff NollerBioethics Department, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin Alice McSherry Doctoral Candidate at the School of Environment, University of Auckland While cannabis based medicines hold out the promise of much needed relief, at the same …
By Louise McConnell Although medical cannabis has been legal in the UK for more than four years, there still exists a great deal of stigma and resistance to medical cannabis among many people including healthcare providers. Louise was diagnosed with osteoarthritis at the age of 21, diagnosed with fibromyalgia in her 40s and very recently …
Today, on International Epilepsy Day, patient group MedCan Support, scientific body Drug Science and tech-platform Alta Flora announce the launch of an innovative study into prescribed cannabis oil for children with epilepsy. MedCan Support and Drug Science are proud to announce the launch of a pioneering digital study to learn more about the symptoms of …
Author Michael A White, Nicholas R Burns Published August 15, 2022 Abstract The prosecution of cannabis-presence driving offences (in the absence of any behavioural evidence of impairment) is ultimately based on the assumption that there is a tight causal relationship between positive toxicology for cannabis and impairment. The main purpose of this review is to …
Author Petter Grahl Johnstad Published July 25, 2022 Abstract Researchers have associated cannabis use with risk for psychosis, cognitive impairment, and traffic accident. However, this review shows that the association between moderate cannabis use and psychosis is no stronger, and often considerably weaker, than the corresponding association for moderate tobacco use. The same holds for …
Authors Fabian Pitter Steinmetz, Maja Kohek Published May 3, 2022 Background The supply chains addressing the global demand for major recreational drugs are hardly addressed due to international contracts, particularly the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Currently applied regulatory changes have several disadvantages ranging from political tensions to the neglect of ecological aspects. The …
What do Ketamine, Alcohol and Cannabis all have in common…not much, other than they are all up for discussion in this episode of the Drug Science Podcast! This week we’re talking about ketamine with Professor Celia Morgan, a Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter and the academic lead for Exeter Translational Addiction Partnership …
By Dr Michael White – Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, South Australia Marcotte et al. (2022): Per se laws are unjust One of the best cannabis-impairment studies that I have encountered (Marcotte et al., 2022) was published online this week, as an open-access article. You can read it here: Driving Performance and …
The British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA) recently produced new guidance on the prescription of cannabis medicines for children with epilepsy. However, the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (UKMCCS) and Drug Science fundamentally disagree with this guidance. Expert clinicians from both organisations have produced a critique to provide commentary, evidence and further crucial information to guide paediatricians to …
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The 24th of November 2021 was a remarkable day for German drug policy reformers and cannabis enthusiasts. The federal election allowed a coalition to form, which is called the “traffic light coalition” due to the individual parties’ colours. Whilst two parties, the Greens and the FDP, are campaigning for cannabis legalisation for quite a while …
Professor Nutt and Professor Barnes will be talking about medical cannabis. Should our future doctors obtain proper education on how to use botanical medicines? Should we change the way we think about drugs and treatments? Tune into this week’s episode to find out! Who is Prof Mike Barnes? Professor Mike Barnes is a …
Any recreational drug use is likely to carry a degree of risk. This includes legal highs such as alcohol and tobacco but is especially true of illegal drugs due to lack of regulation and the often unsafe context in which they may be consumed. It is of utmost importance that frontline healthcare workers understand the …
After hearing feedback about challenges finding career opportunities from the Drug Science Student Society, this webinar provides insight into the careers available in the industries of psychedelics, cannabis, and addiction treatment. With speakers including healthcare workers and both industry and research executives, this webinar will help you find a career working with drugs. With more than …
By Dr. Meg Spriggs and Professor David Nutt On October 17th 2020, New Zealanders will be given the opportunity to change the way recreational cannabis use is viewed and treated. At present, recreational cannabis use¹ is illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (either class B or C depending on its form). Despite this, …
The tables have been turned in this one-off special of the Drug Science podcast. In this episode, Professor David Nutt is interviewed by renowned singer-songwriter – Joss Stone. Professor Nutt is the Chair of the Drug Science Scientific Committee and currently the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and Head of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit at …
Lucy Stafford is a medical cannabis patient and advocate. Having spent most of her teenage years in severe pain, dependent on opiates and a feeding tube, discovering medical cannabis has transformed her health and quality of life. She is passionate about working towards a healthcare system that integrates the use of medical cannabis in the …
By Dr. Shanna Marrinan Since the 2nd of March 2015, it has been illegal to drive with predetermined amounts of particular drugs (including legal medications) in your blood. The limits for these legal and illegal drugs can be located in ‘The Drug Driving (Specified Limits) (England and Wales) Regulations 2014’ (hereafter the 2014 regulations’). However, a handy …
On the 1st of November 2018, medicinal cannabis products were removed from schedule 1 and placed in schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. This change in the law has left patients, medical professionals and law enforcement perplexed about who should and who should not have access to medicinal cannabis. As access to …
Professor David Nutt sits down with Joss Stone, Suzi Gage & Hannah Deacon to discuss the recent progress and biggest issues relating to medicinal cannabis. Many people up and down the country have turned to cannabis to alleviate pain & reduce symptoms of a wide range of ailments. Despite this, the drug still carries hefty penalties …
Drug Science is asked frequently about medical cannabis – what it is, what it can be used for, who can prescribe it and how to regulate it. We’ve developed different ways to help doctors, patients and professionals understand this complex, emerging field, and our education programmes are central to this MEDIC (Medical Education in Cannabinoids) …
At the end of last week, NICE released their initial appraisal on cannabidiol in the form of Epidiolex for childhood epilepsy. As predicted by Drug Science experts they found against it on the grounds of cost-benefit. We don’t have the company submission regarding cost/benefit analysis, and consequently cannot comment on those, but we can reflect …
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has undertaken a review to develop a College position on cannabis use in the UK and how this relates to mental health, incorporating evidence on the biological, psychological and social effects of cannabis, and the use of medicinal cannabis in relation to mental illness. The review invited comment from experts …
Drug Science is delighted to support The Cannabis Society Medical Conference, being held on 24th June in Central London. The Cannabis Society is dedicated to fostering the cannabis community through events, conferences, dinners and much more. The conference is an opportunity to join with doctors from both Europe and North America, industry experts, investors and …
Prof. Adam Winstock – Global Drug Survey 2019 As the tide of cannabis regulatory reform wafts through North America and beyond, it strikes me that the cannabis legalisation lobby started from a strong position. The weight of evidence and cogent arguments at their disposal to counter the totally unhelpful criminalisation of cannabis users was enormous. …