HEALTH & MEDICINE

While Australia takes baby steps in marijuana legalisation, women in New York State suffering from menstrual cramps may soon be able to ease their monthly pains.

The Victorian government has awarded the first commercial permit for medicinal cannabis. This brings patients suffering from various illnesses a step closer to procuring marijuana for relief.

The first licensed imports of cannabis have arrived in Perth, and seriously ill Australians can now access the imported medical marijuana. The drug has been imported Down Under in a joint collaboration between Swiss cannabis company Creso Pharma and Australian wholesale company Health House International.

Tasmania is expecting medicinal cannabis supply by 2018. Tasmanian Botanics is the first Tasmanian company to be approved to produce medical marijuana. Now, the company is expecting legally-manufactured products in the country to be available by early 2018 for sale.

New cannabis research has identified 30 flavour genes within the marijuana genome that may allow growers emulate the wine industry.

Sydney's funnel-web spiders are considered Australia's deadliest spider. However, a new study shows that a funnel-web spider's venom has potential to protect cells against stroke.

Researchers have found out that drinkers who mix energy drinks with alcoholic beverages may be more likely to have increased risk of injury.

Researchers have discovered a new method of alleviating depression by blocking a certain enzyme. Their method was proven effective in mice.

“Figure 1” app has made a great step in terms of sharing and studying medical cases of patients around the world. Dr Thrush, an Orthopedic Surgeon, has given his thoughts on how useful the app is for him.

South Australia government has held a meeting to discuss the possibility of putting up cannabis and hemp industry in the state.

The anti-cancer drug Venetoclax has just received Australia approval. The drug was developed by a team of international and Australian scientists and now it has been reported that the drug can “melt away” certain advanced forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

University of Michigan scientists have developed vaccine nanodiscs so that they can provide personalised treatment to those suffering from melanoma and colon cancer.

A survey, conducted over three decades, has found that more and more Australians are supporting decriminalisation of marijuana. For the first time, more Aussies are supporting cannabis legalisation than those who still want it to be classified as an illicit drug.

Scientists have found a way to reverse neuropathy-related pain.

Students in South Australia are to get meningococcal vaccine free of cost. The attempt comes as part of a study conducted by the University of Adelaide in collaboration with South Australian Health. Up to 60,000 teenagers and adults are believed to benefit from the drive.

Social isolation lowers chances of surviving breast cancer, say scientists. They could even determine the link between loneliness and the risk of cancer recurrence and premature death. The larger your social network is, the higher is the chance of survival.

Victorian Government is planning to introduce a bill on assisted dying in 2017. If it becomes a law, ailing Victorians will have the right to end their life. The bill has support from within the Government. However, they call for stringent and regular reviewing.

Mission Australia, a non-denominational organisation, conducted a survey whose results were published on Dec. 5. The survey found out that mental health is the main issue young Australians face today.

The NSW government has funded the world's largest trial of medicinal cannabis that will prevent the side effects of chemotherapy.

Scurvy, an 18th century disease historically associated with sea sailors, has made a surprise comeback to Australia.

Promising Alzheimer’s drug Solanezumab by Eli Lilly & Co, which was considered a significant amyloid buster, has failed clinical trials.

In a major turnaround of events that has baffled medical experts and researchers, a protein that was long believed to cause Alzheimer’s, has proved to be one that actually fights off the degenerative disease.

Victoria is rolling out a revolutionary melanoma blood test that can diagnose the disease within hours, thereby greatly improving patients’ chances of overcoming the disease. This liquid-biopsy is an Australian-first that allows patients to begin treatment immediately. It cuts weeks off the time taken to detect the fatal skin cancer.

Experts are concerned of the overuse of anti-psychotic drugs prevalent nowadays. They say that these may damage brain and will even lead to early death. However, critics oppose the argument, contradicting the theory for lack of scientific evidence. Most of the claims are exaggerations, they say.

University of California-San Francisco Medical Center’s assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Dr. Jenny Eileen Murase, says that people who sweat excessively do not realise that they have a treatable medical condition.

People at Victoria, who are at a risk of HIV, have signed up for a new HIV trial hoping that positive outcomes may force the Federal Government subsidise PrEP drugs as preventative measure.

Australian and Belgian scientists have made a breakthrough in infertility treatment as they have developed a new in-vitro maturation (IVM) method that can eliminate painful hormone injections required in in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

NSW medicinal cannabis trials for children with severe epilepsy are showing “promising” early signs. They have started taking an experimental cannabis-based drug Epidiolex under the supervision of the NSW government. The trials are a part of the NSW government’s $21 million commitment that will explore therapeutic use of medical marijuana.

NSW health officials have warned people of a meningococcal outbreak as the peak season for the disease approaches and five cases were reported last week. This year, nearly four people have died and 40 cases have been reported in NSW this year.