3/27/2023 0 Comments Rcsi record lectures![]() Under the current programme medicinal cannabis can be accessed for a limited number of conditions. ![]() Professor Delanty explained the role of the European Medical Association (EMA) and the Federal Drugs Authority (FDA) in the US and how they relate to our own ‘Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme’ (MCAP). However, he went on to say that many patients with severe epilepsy will have no response to cannabinoids. It was initially said to be a treatment for epilepsy, a potential use that remains a topic of debate to this day. He mentioned that William O’Shaughnessy, an Irish doctor from the 1800s, was the first to promote medicinal cannabis in western medicine after encountering the plant on his travels in India. Professor Norman Delanty took to the stage next and offered a slightly more analytical and broad insight into cannabis and its history. He also quoted a study which found that the children of mothers who used cannabis while pregnant show higher rates than normal of psychotic symptoms by age 11, and a study which found that the risk of having a psychotic disorder increases five fold with daily cannabis use. Berenson outlined more risks of cannabis use, like higher rates of opioid addiction later in life for users. He talks about how medical marijuana is being prescribed as a pain treatment, but studies have shown that it is not effective at reducing pain. He believes the medicinal value of cannabis is overstated, citing that 94 percent of people who are approved to use medical marijuana, in places where it is legal, are recreational users. He touched on the issue of schizophrenia, making reference to a study from the 1980s which shows that people who have smoked marijuana more than 50 times before their 18th birthday are six times more likely to develop schizophrenia than people who have never smoked marijuana. There was a panel discussion and then a Q&A took place to finish the evening up. Garrett McGovern from the Priority Clinic which deals with alcohol and drug addiction. The two main speakers were joined on stage by Professor Mary Canon and Professor Susan Smith from RCSI, and Dr. Professor Delanty’s work focuses particularly on epilepsy. Alex Berenson, an author and former New York Times journalist who has written a best-selling book called “Tell Your Children: The truth about marijuana, mental illness and violence” and Professor Norman Delanty who has a background in Neurology, a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the nervous system. There were two key speakers on the evening. Legalisation of cannabis is getting more and more attention these days and while I hope we have a legal, regulated and safe way of purchasing cannabis in Ireland in the near future, I believe greater attention should also be given to informing the public about the short term and long term effects of cannabis. Whilst I personally believe there to be some benefits to responsible cannabis use, it showed me that a lot more education is needed on the effects of cannabis, particularly on young people’s health and wellbeing. ![]() The evening focused mainly around the negatives of using cannabis. It was an amazing opportunity to learn from experts about the effects of using cannabis. I found the lecture incredibly interesting. The Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) in Dublin kicked off its public lecture series with a lecture titled ‘Cannabis and Youth Health: The Evidence.’ It took place just off Stephens Green in Dublin, and was hosted by radio and TV presenter Miriam O’Callaghan. ![]()
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