Cannabinoids for pain management - Giresh Kanji

Dr Giresh Kanji talks about prescribing cannabinoids for pain management in primary care. Giresh is a musculoskeletal pain specialist who competed a PhD in chronic pain in 2013. He is currently performing a randomised control trial in chronic low back pain. He is the editor of the Australasian musculoskeletal medicine, author of fix your back and fix your neck pain headaches and migraine and founder of the New Zealand pain foundation a research charity. He consults from One Health in Auckland.

Topics

What is cannabis and cannabis based products
What beneficial effects do they produce?
Adverse effects of cannabinoids
Conditions that benefit
Is there an evidence base that cannabinoids reduce morbidity or improve quality of life?
Practicalities of prescribing cannabis based products in New Zealand
What discussion points do we need to consider when exploring potential cannabinoid use for pain relief
Best practice tips for prescribing
Potential barriers to prescribing (cost)
Can a patient import their own cannabis-based products for medicinal use into New Zealand?

Take home messages

Sativex offers a legal cannabis based product option for chronic neuropathic pain and cancer pain but at present has significant funding barriers.
It is no better than current analgesics that are available in New Zealand, however if people can’t tolerate those option or they don’t work this is certainly another option.