Watch, Listen and Learn

Medicinal Cannabis for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Survey of Perspectives, Experiences, and Current Use in Australian Patients

Prof Iain McGregor presented the award-winning paper as part of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation "Best of 2020" webinar, 20 February 2021. 

CBD in cannabis does not impair driving, landmark study shows

Research led by Dr Tom Arkell, in collaboration with researchers from Maastricht University, showed that CBD did not impact driving ability and moderate THC intoxication lasts a few hours, with implications for drug-driving laws and managing medical cannabis.

Segment from Network Ten's The Project, 2 Dec 2020.

How long does cannabis stay in your system?

Dr Tom Arkell spoke with Honahlee about how long cannabis stays in your system and some of the current issues around roadside drug testing, 5 October 2020 

Medicinal Cannabis

The anecdotal evidence that cannabis has a positive effect on a long list of medical conditions from epilepsy, pain, cancer, even Alzheimer's Disease is building. However, to date there's been scant clinical evidence to back up these claims. At long last that may be changing. In this half hour special, Dr Graham Phillips finds that researchers are now applying scientific rigour to convert anecdote into data and it turns out there could be plenty of promise in this so-called "wonder weed".

The Lambert Initiative's feature on the ABC network's Catalyst, 1 November 2016

Professor Iain McGregor discusses the medicinal value of cannabis

"Once you learn more about the plant and you learn about these different types of cannabinoids and their therapeutic applications, a whole new world opens up."

Prof Iain McGregor and the Lambert Initiative featured on Nine network's 60 Minutes, 2016

THC biomarkers as measures of impairment 

Triple J Hack featured Dr Danielle McCartney and  Prof Iain McGregor to discuss their research highlighting the unreliability of THC in blood and saliva for measuring cannabis impairment (starts at 19:47), 1 December 2021.

 Thousands of people are pinged by the cops every year for driving under the influence of cannabis. But new research suggests the test being used doesn't actually show if someone is incapacitated or not

CBD with Danielle McCartney

Dr Danielle McCartney was a guest on the Pura Sport Nutrition Podcast with Dr Liz Brood to discuss CBD for sport, 17 November 2021

What's the deal with cannabidiol (CBD)?

Dr Danielle McCartney was a guest on The Long Much Podcast (Episode 17A), 28 July 2021.

Dr Danielle McCartney, an Accredited Sports Dietitian & researcher at The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics. Danielle provides a fascinating overview of CBD use for sport. What are the potential uses? Is it safe, legal, how do you buy it, and is the hype justified?

Cannabis Enzymes & Receptors & Genes Oh My! 

 Prof Iain McGregor was a guest on the Periodic Effects podcast (Pe226), 27 July 2021.

(Part 2) What happens when CB1 Receptors are removed from the body? Or when the enzyme (FAAH) that breaks down your own endocannabinoids is no longer present in the body? Our guest, Iain McGregor, Professor of Psychopharmacology at University of Sydney & Academic Director at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, discusses new findings and what lies ahead in cannabis research.

Watch the recording of the podcast here. 

The Psychopharmacology of Cannabis

Prof Iain McGregor was a guest on the Periodic Effects podcast (Pe225), 22 July 2021.

(Part 1) Sometimes a single story can do more than mountains of research data. Previous decades only allowed the research of cannabis when looking at it’s harm potential, however recent times have changed. Our guest, Iain McGregor, Professor of Psychopharmacology at University of Sydney & Academic Director at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, discusses new findings and what lies ahead.

Watch the recording of the podcast here. 

Happy And Medicated: We Need To Talk About Antidepressants

Prof Iain McGregor appeared on The Quicky (Mamamia) podcast to discuss medicinal cannabis for anxiety and depression, 17 February 2021.

Australians regularly rank as some of the happiest people on Earth, but we also are second highest on the list when it comes to taking antidepressants, so why aren't we talking about this?

The Quicky investigates how many of us are using medication to help treat our mental health issues, how it works, and what we can do to break down the stigma surrounding this form of treatment.

Driving Under the Influence with Dr. Tom Arkell

Dr Tom Arkell was featured on the ReeferMed podcast (E64), 9 February 2021.

Vaporize Cannabis.  Get behind the wheel of a car.  Pull out onto the highway.  This is not the beginning of an accident report.  This is a study Dr. Tom Arkell and team ran on an actual highway in the Netherlands.  Dr. Arkell is from Australia, his research is partially supported by the Lambert Iniative and the driving was done near Maastricht University.  The study looked at CBD vs THC vs a combo of THC/CBD vs placebo.  You definitely want to listen to this multinational study if just to hear what "placebo cannabis" is.  Driving and cannabis and Kirk and Trevor!  What more do you need? 

Medicinal cannabidiol now available over the counter, but only in theory

Prof Iain McGregor appeared on ABC Radio’s ‘Late Afternoon’ segment with Narelle Graham, 16 December 2020.

Low-dose medicinal cannabis is now legal to sell in Australia in chemists without a prescription, thanks to new rules introduced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

But manufacturers are yet to meet the regulatory approvals necessary, so stock is unlikely to reach pharmacy shelves until at least the second half of 2021.

Meanwhile, a lack of scientific data and problems with the regulatory regimes governing drivers who use cannabis medications, are having a negative impact on wider take up of these medicines.

Cannabis and Driving 

Dr Tom Arkell was featured on Cannter Cannabis Podcast (Ep 22), December 2020.

In this episode Scott and Adam chat with Dr. Thomas Arkell of the Lambert Initiative about his recently published study into the effects of CBD and THC on driving and impairment. This is a groundbreaking clinical trial which holds global ramifications for policy makers. Dr. Arkell's study has raised serious questions about roadside drug testing policy and this hour long chat is well worth a listen!

Prescribing medicinal cannabis

A/Prof Jonathon Arnold joins GP Dr Tamara Nation on the Australian Prescriber podcast (E89)discussing what GPs need to know about prescribing medicinal cannabis in Australia, 29 September 2020.

What do GPs need to know about prescribing medicinal cannabis in Australia? Ashlea Broomfield interviews pharmacologist Jonathon Arnold and GP Tamara Nation about this controversial area of medicine. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber.

Cannabis & Sleep: From prehistory to the 21^st century

Anastasia Suraev appeared on the SleepJunkies podcast (Ep 047) to talk about her research on cannabinoids for sleep, 8 March 2020.

Pretty much every week, we get an email from a new cannabis startup, promoting their latest CBD or THC remedy to treat any number of health conditions, including sleep problems.

This boom in new, legal cannabis products is the result of recent legislation to start the process of widespread marijuana decriminalisation, and eventually full legalisation. But whilst the consumer demand is fuelling massive growth in the global cannabis industry, currently, there’s little, verging on zero clinical evidence to firmly substantiate many of the health claims made by the new wave of cannabis products hitting the market.

So in this episode, we go behind the marketing claims, and look at the real, solid, scientific evidence behind medical cannabis and its efficacy in treating insomnia and a whole host of other sleep disorders including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and even narcolepsy.

Cannabinoid science

Prof Iain McGregor was a guest on the Wide Open Air Exchange podcast (WOAE055).

More about developments in cannabinoid science following a previous discussion about medical cannabis. Professor of Psychopharmacology Iain McGregor is Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney. Iain explains the human endocannabinoid system and potential medical uses of various components of cannabis, and comments on Australia’s regulatory approach to medical cannabis.

Making Sense Of Medicinal Marijuana

Prof Iain McGregor was a guest on the Scar Tissue With Fabian Di Marco podcast, 7 May 2019. 

Topics covered

1. Iain’s Journey: a story of the trojan horse in cannabis research.
2. Cannabis 101: how and why cannabinoids work to help with many conditions from epilepsy to chronic pain, and what are the side effects?
3. The focus of Iain’s work and the Lambert Initiative: the three key pillars in helping cannabinoids therapeutics live and grow in mainstream medicine.
4. Demystifying legalised marijuana in Australia: where is it today? And the false story we were told. Where should it be? And what needs to happen for it to get there?
5. What people can do in Australia today if they need to access medicinal cannabis.
6. The $120bn business opportunity in cannabis: There are over 600 molecules in cannabis, but most research and promotion centres on THC and CBD. Could ‘CBG’ could be the next‘CBD’? And what other areas of opportunity exist in the value chain?
7. How you can help the cause and United In Compassion.
    

Is there anything wrong with medicinal cannabis?

Prof Iain McGregor appeared on a panel for Sydney Ideas to discuss medicinal cannabis, alongside Dr Mark Ware, Dr Teresa Nicoletti, Adjunct Professor John Skerritt and Lucy Haslam, 29 October 2018.

Is medical marijuana the next wonder drug?

Prof Iain McGregor was featured on the University of Sydney’s Open for Discussion podcast, 25 September 2017.

This episode from the University of Sydney podcast Open for Discussion, about the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, puts the spotlight on the complex cannabis plant, compares community-use regulations in different countries and highlights the pioneering research happening in Australia that could lead to the development of new, more effective and potentially life-saving medicines.

Medical cannabis and epilepsy

Prof Iain McGregor appeared on Education Review radio, 18 August 2016.

With nearly one-third of people with epilepsy having forms resistant to current medication, some people turn to medical cannabis, driven by hope – and anecdotal evidence claiming – that it will work.

Now researchers at the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative, in partnership with Epilepsy Action Australia, are seeking out parents who use cannabis-based medicines to treat their child’s epilepsy.