Sydney, New South Wales: Nearly two-thirds of medicinal marijuana patients report that they have decreased or ceased taking other prescription medications early due to their use of cannabis, according to the results of state government survey conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre in Sydney.
Respondents said that they use marijuana to combat symptoms of chronic pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and weight loss, as well as to alleviate side effects of conventional medications.
Seventy percent of those responding to the survey said that they would be willing to participate in clinical trails examining alternative forms of medical cannabis, such as a spray or a tablet.
Last month, researchers presenting at the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand reported survey data finding that patients who used medicinal cannabis to combat the side effects of anti-HIV drugs were more likely to remain on their prescribed drug therapies than those who do not.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.