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Introduction

Bogdanoski contends that the use of marijuana divides the medical and scientific communities along the pragmatic lines of therapeutic risks and benefits. Persistent observations of the medical users have revealed that cannabis use has significantly improved their health by lessening their uneasiness and pain (2010). 

Discussion

Willis, in her article, has shed light onto the excessive use of medicinal cannabis in Australia mainly for the treatment of anorexia and chronic pain. Following the leniency of restrictions in March 2018 by the Federal Government, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved over 3,100 scripts of medicinal cannabis (2019). Experts, on the other hand, have estimated that more than 100,000 Australians have been treating themselves with illegally obtained cannabis. The use of this drug has been advocated by many experts who claim that obstinate and inflexible medical conditions can be treated effectively through medicinal marijuana. On the other hand, Australian experts and other critics argue that the evidence supporting the use of medicinal marijuana is limited in many medical conditions. Cardiovascular and respiratory problems are a likely outcome of excessive use of marijuana, alongside cognitive impairment and carcinogenicity (Hall, 2009). 

Finding evidence about the safety of cannabis has been very difficult particularly because of the illegal nature of the drug, and also the complications associated with the plant. There are over 400 bioactive molecules in cannabis. Of these molecules, over 100 are referred to as the “cannabinoids” that are responsible for the production of several different effects within the body. Therapeutic benefits are commonly found in the two major cannabinoids, “cannabidiol” (CBD) and “tetrahydrocannabinol” (THC). A person gets high when exposed to THC, and this effect is subsequently moderated by CBD (Willis, 2019). The author seems to be rather neutral towards the use of medicinal marijuana, matching the therapeutic risks and benefits of the drug. She also reports that the disease is treated through the production of a suitable medicine using the CBD, THC and all other cannabinoids in appropriate ratios. The ratios of CBD and THC vary in distinct cannabis strains. However, the experts have still not been able to find out if they work together, or individually. 

The complexity of the cannabis plant varies significantly, as a result of which, several methods have been proposed to administer it. Therefore, TGA is still unable to firmly conclude about how how the medicinal cannabis can be best used. As a result, the availability of the medicinal cannabis is not as common as that of other prescription medicines. The author has also listed down some of the evidences advocating the use of medicinal marijuana. The drug not only helps reduce anxiety, but also alleviates chronic pain. The medicinal cannabis was reviewed back in 2017 by the National Drug and Research Centre (NDARC). This review has played a key role in forming the TGA guidelines of the present day. The evidences reported by the author favoring the use of cannabis for the treatment of certain medical conditions can well be explain through the recent changes in the Australian legislation. It is mainly because of increasing consumer demand that the legislation has made cannabis products available in Australia to be acquired legally (Australian Government, 2016).