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The number of prescriptions for medicinal cannabis (MC) currently averages &gt;80\u2009000 per month for &gt;1 million Australians. Although over 800 different cannabis products are available to prescribe in Australia, only two are registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for specific clinical indications. Using treatment for CNCP as an example, evidence of efficacy across nine systematic reviews was inconsistent and\/or of low quality and, with the exception of neuropathic pain, was unable to identify patient phenotypes in whom a specific type and dosing of cannabis product can reliably provide sustained symptomatic relief. Professional bodies do not endorse unregulated or first\u2010line use of cannabis for CNCP. Harm from cannabis is under\u2010reported but adverse effects include impaired cognitive function, dizziness, sedation, confusion, psychosis and arrhythmias, potentially more so in older patients. Healthcare professionals must inform patients of the significant limitations of current evidence of efficacy and safety for cannabis use in CNCP and other conditions and resist media and industry pressures for greater access to and prescribing of MC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/imj.70094","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,4]],"date-time":"2025-06-04T02:18:47Z","timestamp":1749003527000},"page":"1433-1444","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Medicinal cannabis: is current use clinically justified?"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"55","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9037-0333","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Russ J.","family":"Scott","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"West Moreton Mental Health Service  Brisbane Queensland Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7596-0837","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ian A.","family":"Scott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Health Services Research The University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital  Brisbane Queensland Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","unstructured":"AHPRA Communique.Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency \u2013 regulators come together as one million Australians turn to medicinal cannabis treatments.2024[cited 2024 Dec 12]. 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