Before we move forward, I want to express my deepest condolences to the family that has lost a loved one. My heart goes out to you, and I’m truly sorry that this clinic and doctor failed you and your son.
If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or struggling with your mental health, please reach out. You don’t have to face this alone. Call Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14 or visit someone.health for bulk billing psychology access to mental health support. You matter, and there is help available.
Key Takeaways:
Investigation Triggered by Tragic Cases: The investigation focuses on two cases—one involving a patient’s suicide and another where a patient was hospitalized with psychosis—both after being prescribed medicinal cannabis.
Concerns Over Prescribing Practices: The clinic allegedly prescribed cannabis to patients with known mental health conditions, raising concerns about proper medical evaluation and oversight.
Regulatory Scrutiny: This investigation highlights the need for tighter regulations around medicinal cannabis prescriptions, especially for high-risk individuals.
A medicinal cannabis clinic in Australia is under investigation after two tragic cases involving patients who were prescribed cannabis despite pre-existing mental health conditions. One patient died by suicide, and another was hospitalized with psychosis. These incidents have triggered a probe into the prescribing practices of the company and the doctors involved, raising serious concerns about patient safety, mental health care, and the regulation of medicinal cannabis. The two doctors involved have been suspended while these cases get investigated.
The Cases Under Investigation
The investigation is centered on Dispensed, a medical clinic that prescribed medicinal cannabis to both patients. The company remains operational despite serious concerns, though one of its owner, Adem Younes, has been suspended from dispensing cannabis. This investigation has brought to light potential gaps in how cannabis prescriptions are handled, particularly for patients with severe mental health conditions. This patient should never have been prescribed medicinal cannabis in the first place, the Doctor failed to be ethical and provide the proper care – because of this, a family now has one less member.
Patient 1: A 41-Year-Old Man’s Suicide
A 41-year-old man from New South Wales, with a documented history of hallucinations and use of anti-psychotic medication, died by suicide in February. Despite his known mental health condition, Dispensed prescribed him medicinal cannabis—a decision that is now under serious scrutiny.
Experts have raised concerns that medicinal cannabis, particularly THC, may have exacerbated the patient’s underlying psychosis, contributing to his death. Mental health professionals have long cautioned against using cannabis for patients with schizophrenia or psychotic disorders, as it can trigger or worsen symptoms like hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions.
Disturbingly, even after the man’s death, his parents informed Dispensed of the tragedy, but the clinic still sent out two additional packages of medicinal cannabis to the family home. This lack of oversight and communication has only intensified the investigation, raising questions about the clinic’s internal processes and patient care protocols.
Patient 2: Schizophrenia Worsened by Cannabis
The second case involves a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia whose condition worsened after receiving medicinal cannabis from Dispensed. Despite his mother informing the clinic about his pre-existing schizophrenia, the company continued to prescribe cannabis to him.
By March, the patient’s mental health had deteriorated significantly, leading to hospitalization for psychosis. Even after being told by the mother that her son had been hospitalized, Dispensed continued to contact the patient, demonstrating a troubling lack of follow-up care and patient safety.
Key Issues: Patient Safety and Mental Health Oversight
These tragic cases expose critical flaws in the current medicinal cannabis prescribing practices, particularly for patients with known mental health conditions. The investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is looking into whether the doctors involved acted inappropriately by prescribing cannabis to high-risk patients.
Several key issues have emerged:
- Known Mental Health Conditions: Both patients had significant mental health histories, including schizophrenia and hallucinations, conditions that are typically considered red flags for cannabis use due to the risk of worsening psychosis.
- Communication Failures: Despite being alerted by the family members of both patients about their mental health conditions, the clinic continued to prescribe cannabis. Even after Patient 1’s death, the clinic sent additional cannabis shipments, pointing to serious flaws in communication and oversight.
- Lack of Follow-Up: Patient 2 was still contacted by the clinic after being hospitalized, raising concerns about how closely the clinic monitored patients after prescribing cannabis, especially in high-risk cases.
Medicinal Cannabis and Mental Health: A Complex Relationship
Medicinal cannabis has shown promise in managing chronic pain, anxiety, and other conditions, but its relationship with mental health—especially for patients with conditions like schizophrenia—is complex and can be dangerous. The psychoactive compound in cannabis, THC, has been linked to the onset and worsening of psychotic symptoms in vulnerable individuals.
Consistent with the Queensland Health recommendations, guidance suggests that medicinal cannabis products containing THC are generally not appropriate for patients who:
- Have a previous psychotic disorder or a concurrent active mood or anxiety disorder;
- Are pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding; and/or
- Have unstable cardiovascular disease.
In these cases, prescribing doctors must conduct thorough evaluations to assess the risks and ensure the patient’s safety. Both patients in these tragic cases had clear contraindications for medicinal cannabis use based on these guidelines, yet they were still prescribed cannabis, leading to devastating outcomes.
The Broader Implications for Medicinal Cannabis Regulation
The investigation into Dispensed could lead to significant regulatory changes in Australia’s medicinal cannabis industry. As cannabis becomes more widely accepted as a therapeutic option, it is crucial to ensure that vulnerable patients, particularly those with mental health conditions, are protected from potential risks.
The ongoing investigation may prompt regulators to introduce:
- Stricter mental health screening requirements for patients seeking medicinal cannabis.
- Improved patient follow-up protocols, particularly for high-risk patients with mental health issues.
- Enhanced communication guidelines for healthcare providers to ensure that families and caregivers are kept informed and that their concerns are acted upon.
These changes could improve patient safety and help prevent further tragedies.
A Need for Vigilance in Cannabis Prescribing Practices
The tragic deaths and hospitalizations of these two patients serve as a stark reminder that mental health must be a central consideration in the prescribing of medicinal cannabis. While cannabis can offer relief for certain conditions, it also carries significant risks, particularly for individuals with a history of mental health challenges.
As the investigation unfolds, there will likely be calls for tighter regulations and better safeguards to ensure that medicinal cannabis is prescribed and monitored responsibly. Protecting vulnerable patients, such as those with schizophrenia or psychotic disorders, should be a top priority for healthcare providers and regulatory bodies alike.
This is not the first time a Dr or clinic has come under fire, one Doctor by the name of Christopher Anigbo recommended a patient to vaporize his THC tincture instead of orally ingesting it.
It looks like they’ve also limited comments on their Facebook page.
Photo: ABC