Medicinal cannabis (Evidence review)

This review provides background evidence for the New Zealand Drug Foundation’s policy on the use of medicinal cannabis. It sets out:

• How the material was gathered and reviewed
• Background to the medicinal use of cannabis, and context of the present debate
• Current evidence on existing/potential therapeutic uses and forms, and the relative
• benefits and risks of medicinal cannabis
• Legislation, policy and practice in selected countries
• New Zealand’s current legislation and policy as it may impact on medicinal cannabis.
• Literature reviewed and review methods used

This review aimed to:

• review the state of recent evidence of the value of medicinal cannabis
• identify current policies on the use of medicinal cannabis, especially in jurisdictions
• similar to New Zealand’s
• review current options for the use of medicinal cannabis, if its use was supported by
• the evidence.