What Medical Conditions Are Treated With Medicinal Cannabis?

Medicinal cannabis is rapidly gaining traction as a mainstream treatment for many medical and mental health conditions, including chronic pain, endometriosis, insomnia and anxiety.

Medical cannabis is a regulated medication by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and state-based Health Departments, that requires a doctor consultation for assessment and prescription.

Medical Conditions Treated

Since medical cannabis has reached mainstream medicine in Australia in 2016, the list of permitted medical conditions that this medication is used for has significantly grown.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the use of medical cannabis for the following recognised medical conditions, including but not limited to:

  • Anorexia and wasting associated with chronic illness ( such as cancer)

  • Anxiety

  • Autism symptoms

  • Cancer pain

  • Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

  • Chronic infection

  • Chronic pain

  • Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome

  • Depression

  • Dystonia

  • Epilepsy / Seizure management

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Neuropathic pain

  • Neuropathies

  • Opioid dependence

  • Palliative care

  • Parkinson’s Disease

  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica

  • Post CVA Neuropathy

  • PTSD

  • Radiculopathiesa

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Spasticity from neurological conditions

  • Tremors'

  • Migraines

Scientific Evidence

Although medicinal cannabis is regularly prescribed for multiple medical conditions, there is a relative low level of scientific evidence for benefits of medicinal cannabis.

Some evidence based benefit for medicinal cannabis effects are found below.

  1. Chronic Pain, Nausea and vomiting. National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine

  2. Effects of cannabis ingestion on endometriosis-associated pelvic pain and related symptoms

  3. Reduction in childhood seizures. Department of Neurology, NYU Langone School of Medicine

  4. Sleep disturbance and chronic pain. National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine