Deputy Montfort Tadier has written to the Health Minister to raise his concerns after Dr Susan Turnbull told the BBC during a live radio interview that there is ‘no evidence that smoked cannabis is effective’ as a medicine.
Dr Turnbull was speaking to the BBC’s Tony Gilham following an announcement by Health Minister Andrew Green that the States would consider legalising medicinal cannabis. That announcement followed a major report known as the Barnes Report.
During the interview, Dr Turnbull said: ‘There is some evidence that there is more potential medicinal use for medicinal cannabis products than was previously believed.
‘It specifically recommends that there is no recommendation that cannabis should be taken as a smoked product.’
But Deputy Tadier pointed out that the Barnes Report referenced a study which found that 52 per cent of its patients who smoked cannabis reported a 30 per cent or more reduction in pain. No serious adverse affects were recorded.
No-one from the Health Department has yet been available to comment.
