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The use of medicinal cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) oil internationally is continuing to propagate, with the CBD market blazing a path to an estimated value of US$23.7 billion by 2023. This, coupled with the promises of its therapeutic potential regularly doing the rounds on social media, it is not surprising that there are increasing numbers of Australian patients and practitioners that are wanting to learn more and obtain access. This commentary shares a brief overview of CBD's chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic uses, workplace health and safety implications, potential side effects, drug driving laws and drug interactions, along with the current regulatory and legal framework for its therapeutic use in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Australia moves to regulate and enact the cultivation and manufacture of high quality medicinal Cannabis strains for assorted therapeutic applications, this raises important issues of safety, quality, efficacy and the clinical challenges that will be presented to authorised prescribers in understanding the complexity of the Cannabis genus and how it interacts pharmacologically with human physiology. Key areas of focus in this overview include the endocannabinoid system, Cannabis phytochemistry, the entourage effect (constituent synergy), potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions and the impact of route of administration on clinical efficacy. All of these factors pose significant clinical challenges in not only prescribing medicinal Cannabis safely, but also in achieving effective amelioration of symptoms and positive patient outcomes. Furthermore, these factors highlight that the classic pharmacological "one-size-fits all model" may not be entirely appropriate for this unique herbal medicine, but rather supports the application of a holistic, patient-centred, individualised approach to this plant's therapeutic implementation in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis is a painful inflammatory disorder of variable aetiology causing abdominal pain, nausea, emesis, fever and elevated white blood cell count. It is characterised pathologically by pancreatic lytic enzymes activating the inflammatory cascade, causing acute inflammation and destruction of surrounding tissue. Medical intervention and investigation is paramount as the condition can be life threatening. A patient presented with acute and persistent abdominal pain, nausea and eructation with biomedical investigations diagnosing acute pancreatitis. Naturopathic management included the use of simple crude herbal medicines, phytochemically rich foods and traditional principles to manage gastrointestinal sequelae and inflammation. The patient responded quickly and had significantly reduced gastrointestinal pain within hours of initial treatment, and was largely asymptomatic after 72 hours of continuing naturopathic care. Traditional supportive herbal and naturopathic therapies may be an effective management strategy for acute pancreatitis in conjunction with close medical supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spagyric tinctures and elixirs represent a traditional herbal manufacturing dosage form that has strong links to alchemy, which is believed by many historians to be the progenitor of modern chemistry. The first to publish extensively on the topic of spagyrics was Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus von Hohenheim (Paracelsus), who presented the idea of reincorporating the calcined herbal marc back into the herbal tincture. This paper seeks to discuss the evolution of spagyrics and its close links to alchemy, also touching briefly on foundational alchemical concepts to provide a basis of understanding for spagyric development. It will also highlight certain key manufacturing steps that are required in the making of the spagyric tincture, spagyric elixir and the highly prized Lapis vegetabilis (vegetable stone). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]