Medical cannabis prescriptions surge in the wake of coronavirus

The number of medicinal cannabis prescriptions to treat anxiety-related conditions has soared in the wake of the virus pandemic.

Cannvalate CEO Dr Sud Agarwal. Picture: Stuart McEvoy/The Australian.

A team of doctors at medicinal cannabis distributor Cannvalate has one rule when it comes to prescribing the regulated product.

“We are heavily against combustible forms of cannabis being prescribed,” chief executive Sud Agarwal said.

It is an important point to make. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of medicinal cannabis prescriptions to treat anxiety-related conditions has soared and it would be easy to picture patients puffing on joints to ease the stress of self isolation and a crumbling economy.

But Dr Agarwal said most medicinal cannabis products sold in Australia are sprays, oils or gel capsules, similar to cod-liver oil tablets. “We are a medically run organisation. Our decision makers and C-suite are essentially all doctors of PhD scientists. We are heavily against combustible forms of cannabis being prescribed.

“We try to prescribe sprays or oils or gel caps. It just so happens in Australia that the oil format has been very popular. This is an ingestible oil that people consume and that is probably over 90 per cent of the market here.”

Medicinal cannabis products are accessed via the Special Access Scheme, which the Therapeutic Goods Administration manages and normally approves within 24 hours after receiving a prescription.

In March, the number of SAS approvals surged more than 12 per cent to almost 4000, compared to the monthly averages for December to February, and the number of prescriptions are continuing to grow.

While most people who seek medicinal cannabis treatments suffer chronic pain, Dr Agarwal attributed much of the increase in prescriptions to anxiety-related conditions.

“The number of people seeking cannabis for chronic pain has remained roughly the same but there has been a significant jump in the number of people getting recommendations for treatments for anxiety.

“While it is too early to say yet, it may be that financial and social stress, isolation, has triggered underlying anxiety disorders and that might be the reason why they are seeking us.”

The surge in prescriptions comes amid airfreight restrictions, which has led to delays of up to a month in overseas shipments of medicinal cannabis. Australia is heavily reliant on imported medicinal cannabis products, given less than 10 per cent of the market is Australian made.

Dr Agarwal said Cannvalate had enough inventory domestically. “Certainly stock isn’t in massive oversupply but we are meeting our needs.”

Elsewhere, listed biotech Impression Healthcare is developing a cannabis-based treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, which is a leading cause of death in severe COVID-19 infections.

“Cannabinoids are potent anti-inflammatory agents and they exert their effects through multiple pathways,” Impression Healthcare chief executive Joel Latham said.

The need for effective COVID-19 treatments is rising. Coronavirus has delayed construction on local listed medicinal cannabis producer Cann Group’s factory in Mildura.

Cann chief executive Peter Crock said the company had employed glasshouse technicians from The Netherlands, who have since returned to Europe during the pandemic. Given the uncertainty of the outbreak, Mr Crock could not say when the factory would be completed.

“But there is Australian (made) product which is now available and making its way through the system,” he said.

“We have been watching the trends across other geographies where we have some visibility and in North America that has been a big focus for them over there.

“It’s an exciting time. We have a new class of compound and with the right approach clinically, it can be a lifesaving agent.”