The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) will soon start a new study investigating the benefits of medical cannabis on children, thanks to funding from medical cannabis company Cannatrek.
Cannatrek is contributing funding towards the new project, which MCRI will use to pay for the study’s infrastructure and expansion. The study has also received funding from the federal government’s $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund.Â
MCRI’s study will include 140 children and adolescents with developmental disorders like autism, intellectual disabilities, and Tourettes Syndrome. The study will investigate if medical cannabis is beneficial for children when compared to a placebo drug. Cannatrek also plans to compare the study’s results to data they’ve gathered on their 10,000+ medical cannabis patients to see if the results are consistent across adults and children.Â
While other research institutes and companies have conducted similar research to MCRI on adult medical cannabis users, there is currently very little similarly high-quality research on children. This makes it difficult for doctors and parents to know if medical cannabis can help. Naturally, the study’s lead Associate Professor Daryl Efron feels the study results may ease their concerns.
This program is allowing us to generate good quality evidence on the potential benefits of medicinal cannabis for children.
The study will also help MCRI and Cannatrek provide doctors with better education on cannabis going forward. If the study is successful, MCRI plans to expand it to investigate if medical cannabis could benefit children with chronic pain, mental health conditions or who are in palliative care.