Marijuana has a complex history. It seems every society has grappled with balancing the positive and negative effects. Historical records indicate that Ancient Chinese farmers were the first to grow this plant but also were the first to reject it as a socially acceptable drug.

In the middle ages, Pope Innocent VIII took this fight to the extreme associating it with witchcraft and sorcery labelling marijuana an existential threat. Those who cultivated it were imprisoned, exiled or executed. Alternatively, in the 1790s, the British saw it as a great source of tax revenue out of India.

Today we recognised there is a number of benefits of medicinal cannabis. Our special guest is Professor Jennifer Martin who is a clinical pharmacologist and physician with vast experience and research in this field.

Australian registered medical practitioners who would like to access to medicinal cannabis products for the treatment of appropriate patients may apply through the following links:

• Accessing medicinal cannabis for a patient: https://www.tga.gov.au/accessing-medicinal-cannabis-patient
• Special Access Scheme: https://www.tga.gov.au/form/special-access-scheme
• Authorised Prescriber Scheme: https://www.tga.gov.au/form/authorised-prescribers

This is the story of medicinal cannabis.

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