Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

First Licensed Medicinal Cannabis Wholesaler Comes To The Whitsundays

Paving the way for alternative medicine in the Whitsundays, Medicinal Cannabis wholesaler MediExtract, is opening its doors for medical practitioners to provide a new way of treating patient’s chronic illnesses and other ailments.

For many years cannabis has been seen as an illegal drug, trafficked on the black market, and sold in back alleys right across the world.

While it is sold as a recreational drug, cannabis is also known to have incredible medicinal qualities. Medicinal Cannabis which has been cultivated and produced under controlled conditions can then be prescribed by health practitioners to suit a patient’s particular requirements.

“It is concerning when I hear people admitting to purchasing cannabis illicitly on the black market for medical reasons, and its usually because they either don’t know they can get it via a prescription or its ‘cause they’re so desperate to find pain relief that they don’t consider the risks of consuming something grown in a stranger’s backyard where quality processes for medicine are  not considered,” said MediExtract’s  Compliance Director, Amanda Clifton-Smith.

“MediExtract not only ensures that it is void of any harmful chemicals that illegal versions may include, but we can also recommend  a specific type of cannabis strain  to best suit a patient’s ailment.”Currently, Medicinal Cannabis is classified as an unapproved product in Australia and accessing Medicinal Cannabis is legal in Australia through prescription from any registered Australian Doctor.

The prescription for Medicinal cannabis is regulated through the Special Access Scheme (SAS) by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

This pathway allows doctors to prescribe the product based on their clinical judgement on a patient-to-patient basis.

MediExtract is the first licensed Medicinal Cannabis wholesaler in the Whitsundays to supply cannabis products to thousands of patients, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, and researchers.

“Living in the Whitsundays and being rural, our aim and purpose is to educate and make access to plant-based medicine easier and more affordable to patients,” said Amanda.

“We believe patients should have the right to easily access plant-based medicines and therefore we have partnered with Live Life Pharmacy Cannonvale to handle the dispensing of the products and deliver anywhere throughout Australia.”

“To make access easier and discreet for patients, we have also partnered with Truegreen, an online Telehealth Platform which connects patients directly to a prescribing doctor nationally, and we’re also working closely with local doctors to provide even more accessible options for patients living in and around the Whitsunday’s region,” said Michael Mariakis Mediextract’s Operations Manager.

It is worth noting that before cannabinoid therapy is considered as a treatment option, the TGA advises Medicinal Cannabis is not to be used as a first line treatment.

This means cannabinoid therapy can only be used after registered prescription medicines have been unsuccessful or have caused unacceptable adverse effects, except in the case of patients in palliative care.

Here are some examples of what medicinal Cannabis can be used for:

• Patients undergoing chemotherapy.

• Epilepsy.

• Multiple sclerosis.

• Chronic pain.

• Palliative care.

To find out more about how MediExtract can help you, visit their website www.mediextract.com.au

Michael Mariakis and Amanda Clifton-Smith from MediExtract. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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