Children as voices and images for medicinal cannabis law reform

A provisional evaluation of Australia's medical cannabis program

In 2016, the Australian Government legislated to allow cannabis to be prescribed to patients as an unapproved medicine under the special access provisions of the Therapeutic Goods Act. This paper compares the Australian regulatory approach with other national approaches, outlines the main provisions of the Special Access Scheme for medical cannabis, describes how the program has evolved since 2017, includes an analysis of adverse events reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and discusses the barriers that remain for patients who wish to access medical cannabis. It assesses how well the Australian program has addressed the challenges of providing patients with easier access to medical cannabis while ensuring that high-quality products are used safely and effectively under medical guidance.

Prejudices against people with epilepsy as perceived by affected people and their families

PROBLEM

Prejudices can impair social participation of people with epilepsy.

METHODS

From 2019 to 2020, we invited people with epilepsy and their relatives across Germany to fill in a questionnaire.

RESULTS

Two hundred and thirty people with epilepsy (PWE, median age: 40 years; min./max.: 19/83; 66% female) and 103 relatives (REL, median age: 42 years; min./max. 23/70; 83% female) took part in the survey. 44% PWE and 40% REL said prejudices against PWE had not declined in recent years. Of PWE, 64% reported they had experienced prejudices themselves. In an open question with multiple answers possible, 71% of the PWE described concrete prejudices against PWE, 62% of the REL did so. The reported prejudices concerned symptoms of epilepsy (37% PWE; 23% REL), academic or occupational performance (47% PWE; 38% REL), social or family life (27% PWE, 29% REL), and other topics (7% PWE, 4% REL). Of PWE, 88% said all or almost all relatives knew about their condition, 74% stated this applied to all or almost all friends, and 48% told all or almost all colleagues about their epilepsy. Of PWE, 94% would want to know if a relative had epilepsy, 87% would like to know about a friend's epilepsy, 70% about a colleague's epilepsy. Fear of stigmatization was a reason for not always communicating the condition according to 20% PWE and 63% REL. None of PWE and 16% of REL named shame as a reason.

CONCLUSION

People with epilepsy still experience prejudices and fear of stigmatization hinders an open communication about the condition.