In their book Trick or Treatment? Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst evaluate the evidence to support a range of “alternative therapies”. As they write, contrary to common excuses, all of these “alternatives” have been rigorously scientifically tested. As they show, almost none of them measure up to their claims. Some at best offer a placebo benefit: this especially in such intangible conditions as chronic pain.
After all, an x-ray will indisputably demonstrate whether reiki has healed a broken leg or not. On the other hand, pain is a subjective condition that cannot be directly measured.
The latest fad for managing a range of conditions including chronic pain is medicinal cannabis. Its proponents claim that there is scientific evidence that it works – but is there? Specialists in the field beg to differ.
The recommendation from the country’s peak pain advisory body to doctors is: “Do not prescribe currently available cannabinoid products to treat chronic non-cancer pain unless part of a registered clinical trial.”
The Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) says there is no robust evidence from gold-standard studies that proves cannabinoid products effectively treat these patients’ suffering. Cannabinoids are the active chemicals in cannabis.
This will undoubtedly get the stoner lobby’s knickers in a righteous twist. But, no matter how loudly they howl, the supposed evidence just isn’t there.
Dean of ANZCA’s pain medicine faculty Professor Michael Vagg said medicinal cannabis products on the market “are not even close” to showing they are effective in the management of patients with complex chronic pain.
“The research available is either unsupportive of using cannabinoid products in chronic non-cancer pain or is of such low quality that no valid scientific conclusion can be drawn,” the pain specialist and physician said.
Cannabidiol-only formulations have never been the subject of any published randomised controlled trial (which are considered the scientific gold standard), yet they are the most commonly prescribed type of cannabis product.
Of course, the stoner lobby will trot out the sob stories of Little Timmy Thompson or Old Lady Johnson and how medicinal cannabis totally cured their chronic pain, but the plural of anecdote is not evidence. As pointed out, the claims of cannabidiol formulations have never been scientifically tested.
So such medicinal cannabis claims are even less reliable than homeopathy. At least we know for a fact that the latter is garbage.
It’s hard not to suspect that “medicinal cannabis” is being used as a backdoor path for stoners to get their weed legalised. After all, in jurisdictions where it has been, like Colorado, the medicinal market has been practically crushed by the recreational market. If stoners want to get baked legally, fine: then campaign on that. Don’t deceitfully hide behind bullshit about “medicinal cannabis”.
After all, if I asked my doctor for a prescription for medicinal single-malt whisky – subsidised by the taxpayer – I’d be booted out of the consulting room. No matter that I’d be on firmer scientific ground than if I asked for “medicinal cannabis”.
“Substances like alcohol are more effective pound-for-pound but we don’t have extended opening hours at Dan Murphy’s for pain patients,” Professor Vagg said.
Sydney Morning Herald
Now, there’s an idea I’d get behind.
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