Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (13:21): My question is for the minister for medical research, Minister Pulford. Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects one in nine women.
The pain is sharp, with sufferers describing it as like a knife twisting inside their stomach. Patients are typically prescribed opioids or even benzodiazepines, and these are slow acting but addictive. Sufferers commonly present to emergency departments due to the severity of the pain.
Dr Mike Armour, senior research fellow in reproductive health at the University of Western Sydney, and his team are looking to launch a longitudinal study as to whether medicinal cannabis can reduce the number of emergency department admissions for endo sufferers, because what we find is that with medicinal cannabis the pain relief can be very immediate in the way that it is titrated.
My question is simply: would the minister or her office be willing to meet with Dr Armour to discuss Victoria as a suitable location for this study?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (13:22): I thank Ms Patten for her question and her interest in this condition, endometriosis, which is so incredibly debilitating for so many women in our community.
As I understand it, there is an extraordinary time between onset of symptoms and diagnosis for women experiencing endometriosis—in the order of seven or eight years on average—which is quite remarkable when you think about how debilitating the symptoms are. Like you, and I am sure like other colleagues, we all have friends that live with this condition and its consequences.
I would love very much to take up your invitation for that meeting. I know the Hudson Institute in Clayton have world-leading expertise in inflammation and its relationship to a number of conditions, and endometriosis is an area that they have a particular interest in.
Regarding Dr Armour, I would welcome the opportunity to explore how we might work in partnership with him on something so important that affects so many women in the Victorian community and indeed of course their families and their support crews. Thank you for the question. I would welcome the opportunity
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (13:23): Thank you, Minister, for that. You are absolutely right. By way of a supplementary, we are starting to see all of these different roles for medicinal cannabis, and you were very much part of that first debate to get medicinal cannabis available in Victoria.
So I am just wondering whether you could tell me whether there is any other research that the government is getting behind in Victoria in regard to medicinal cannabis.
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (13:24): I thank Ms Patten for her further question and her ongoing interest in the current and prospective uses of medicinal cannabis to support people through a range of conditions.
I have in a previous role had the opportunity to meet some of the pioneers in this area, and it is a very, very exciting potential new treatment for an extraordinary range of conditions affecting people in the Victorian community.
I might take the supplementary question on notice so that I can provide you with some detail about what research activity is underway. I do know of some, but let me have a bit of a scan of our research institutes and universities and see what is underway.
I will provide that information to you at the earliest opportunity. I might, President, seek your forbearance; it might take more than a day.
Fiona Patten MP
Leader of Reason
Member for Northern Metropolitan Region
Question without notice 8/2/22
Answer
A written response was ordered for the supplementary question. Written response received:
I thank Ms Patten for her question and confirm that yes, my office would be pleased to meet with Dr Mike Armour to discuss research into endometriosis using medicinal cannabis.
Victoria’s leadership in medicinal cannabis cultivation and access has resulted in national reform. Patients can now access life changing medicines to treat a range of medical conditions. The Victorian Government is supporting local research, and further developing the evidence base for the use of medicinal cannabis.
The Victorian Government has successfully completed the development, manufacture and safety testing of a pharmaceutical grade purified cannabidiol (CBD) product, the first product of this type to be produced in Australia.
This CBD product is now being provided to local research organisations for use in clinical trials. These trials will build local research expertise, provide more patients with access to CBD and expand the evidence base for its therapeutic use. Due to potential COVID-19 related disruptions, the specifics of these trials have not yet been announced.
Agriculture Victoria research continues to undertake cutting edge research into the medicinal cannabis plant in partnership with companies, including Cann Group and Canopy Growth Corporation.
The Victorian Government has also provided funding of over $1.2 million to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre (ONJ) for research into medicinal cannabis.
Furthermore, Cann Group obtained the first commercial licence to cultivate medicinal cannabis in Australia and has established its research and development, and manufacturing operations in Victoria. In January 2019, Cannatrek announced investments in Victoria in production, manufacturing and research.
Since 2017 the Victorian researchers have received a total $3.6 million in federal funding through The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) which accounted for almost 30% of all Federal funding into medicinal cannabis. This funding went to funding studies conducted by the University of Melbourne, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and Monash University.
The Victorian Government also indirectly supports research into medicinal cannabis at the ONJ and the MCRI through the Operational Infrastructure Support (OIS) program. The OIS Program helps fund services and infrastructure that support research activities but are not covered by research grants.
Hon Jaala Pulford MP
Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy
