Ranked as one of the best health systems in the world, Australia’s health system has progressively made great strides in the innovation of new effective treatment approaches. Australia is notable among the countries where you can buy weed online without fearing legal consequences.
Legalization of Cannabis for Medical Use
Following the legalization of medicinal cannabis access in 2016, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the medicines regulatory body in the country, has been reporting various pro-cannabis clinical trials back to back. Amazingly, these trials have been demonstrating strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis. According to the regulator, the strongest evidence relates to the use of cannabis in the treatment of certain types of epilepsy in children.
It is beyond doubt that the new clinical developments have demystified lots of myths questioning the health benefits of marijuana. No wonder 2021 was a historic year, as medicinal cannabis was listed on Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the very first time. PBS is a government-subsidized program that makes medications more affordable and accessible to eligible patients. Besides, interested consumers can now buy cheap weed online for medical purposes.
The listing was a result of the insights collected from various surveys suggesting the increasingly popular use of medical cannabis among Australians. For instance, the 2019 National Drug Household Survey showed that 600,000 Australians aged at least 14 had used cannabis for medical reasons.
With the medicinal cannabis listed on PBS, it means that eligible patients can access the medication affordably. This is because the government offers subsidized medical treatments to its citizens through the program.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The PBS is a government-subsidized program that makes medications more affordable and accessible to eligible patients.
It is worth noting that PBS currently lists only selected medical cannabis products, not all. The listed products are recommended for the treatment of various health conditions, including:
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cancer-related symptoms
- Chronic pain
Breakthrough in Epilepsy Management
With approximately 0.5% of children in Australia reported having the condition, epilepsy has been a serious health concern. The brain disorder is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are also known as fits.
The debut of medicinal cannabis on PBS comes as a great relief to parents with epileptic children as sufficient evidence supports its ability in epilepsy management among kids. Research shows that medicinal cannabis is an effective treatment option for severe forms of epilepsy, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
The better part of the published evidence features Cannabidiol (CBD) as the most integral component of drug-resistant epilepsy treatment in children.
In one of the recent studies, CBD products reduced epileptic seizure frequency by 50% among children with pediatric-onset drug-resistant epilepsy. Even better, different studies have reported improved quality of life among epileptic kids who have received CBD treatment.
It is worth noting that eligibility criteria are applied to the people who want to access the listed products, possibly to regulate the consumption of the subsidized products. However, even if someone qualifies, the prescription is exclusively assigned to medical practitioners who are authorized to do so through the Special Access Scheme or Authorized Prescriber Scheme.
Therefore, parents and guardians of epileptic kids are highly advised to consult with authorized medical practitioners before putting the children on cannabis treatment. Kids are more fragile than adults. As such, the decision to put them on medical marijuana should be more keenly and professionally analyzed than when one wants to buy cbd gummies for recreation.
Parting shot
The Australian government’s decision to add medicinal cannabis for epileptic children on PBS listing is the right step in the right direction. Hopefully, this will result in an improved public perception of cannabis and its health benefits. Nevertheless, parents should always remember to consult authorized medical experts before embarking to buy cbd oil near me for pediatric treatment.