Australia's medicinal cannabis industry has the potential to be a major player on the global stage, contributing significantly to the economy through exports and job creation. But our education and health systems are hampering progress. Educating Australian healthcare professionals about the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a crucial first step to ensure the credibility and proven effectiveness of our medicinal cannabis products internationally. We have known about the ECS for more than 30 years. It’s time for all tertiary healthcare students to learn about the ECS and be included in the syallbus. However, this should not be a "pay to play" scenario. Just as manufacturers of casts for broken arms did not pay for the skeletal system to be added to healthcare studies, we can not and should not expect the cannabis industry to fund ECS education. There are two main reasons for this: 1. Bias and Commercial Outcomes: Industry-funded education risks skewing the information towards commercial interests, undermining the integrity and neutrality of medical education. 2. Healthcare Should Not Be Pay to Play: We must stop accepting that healthcare can be commodified in such a manner. Ensuring comprehensive medical education should be a public responsibility, not a commercial one.
Posted by Natalie D'Alessandro at 2024-05-22 22:21:43 UTC