Indications for Cannabis Treatment

Medical cannabis for pain patients will be given for the relief of neuropathic pain from a clear organic source, treated by a recognized pain clinic for a period of at least one year before submitting the application, after exhausting the conventional treatments, and upon the recommendation of the attending physician at the pain clinic.

For patients suffering from active and proven inflammatory bowel disease: administration of medical cannabis for Crohn’s or Colitis patients to improve the symptoms of the disease, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, skeletal pain, and nausea. And this is when:

Conventional drugs treatments exhausted and failed of at least one immunomodulator (Imuran or Purinethol), for a period of at least 3 months, in addition to at least one TNF Inhibitor (Humira or Remicade) in a full loading dose, i.e.: at least 3 treatments.
The recommendation for cannabis treatment will be submitted by a gastroenterologist who treats a patient with the said disease, for at least 3 months.

Medical cannabis for patients with active oncological illness, or during active antineoplastic treatment (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation) and up to six months after the end of treatment, even without exhausting the conventional medical treatments.

Medical cannabis treatment for patients with cancer is solely given to relieve the symptoms of the illness and the side effects of the active treatment: secondary pain to the oncological disease or its treatment (after giving the conventional drugs a significant therapeutic try) and to relieve loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting as a result of the illness or treatment.

For patients diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), no matter what their CD4 counts is, after exhausting the conventional drugs treatments. Treatment will be given to patients suffering from extreme weight loss, for the purpose of improving appetite or for relieving vomiting and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Endometriosis and Fibromyalgia are recognized as indications for medical cannabis treatment only if they meet the indication conditions of chronic neuropathic pain from a clear organic source. The effect of cannabis in reducing pain can also apply to the pain suffered by endometriosis patients and fibromyalgia patients.

Medical Cannabis for Multiple Sclerosis
For spastic conditions (muscle stiffness) that have not responded to conventional treatment, to relieve the following symptoms: pain, sensory disturbances, tremor, balance disorder, fecal incontinence, and more.

Medical Cannabis for Parkinson’s Disease
After at least a year of antiparkinsonian treatment, for patients suffering from chronic pain or pain caused by the rigidity and who have not responded to conventional pain treatment. The recommendation will be submitted by the attending neurologist.

Medical Cannabis for Tourette Syndrome
For adults who suffer from a significant functional disorder in their daily life and have not responded to conventional treatments. The recommendation will be submitted by the attending neurologist, along with a psychiatric recommendation after an examination.

For terminal patients (estimated life expectancy of 6 months), for improvement of the symptoms of the illness and treatment – not as treatment of the illness itself, and for relief of symptoms: neuropathic pain, loss of appetite and nausea, sleep disorders, reactive depression, and anxiety.

Medical cannabis for patients over the age of 5 who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The treatment is provided based on the DSM-5 and after documentation has been presented proving that the diagnosis meets the criteria for autism diagnosis (in the circular letter 13/15 of 2013), and given that the patient meets all the following criteria combined:

1. Behavioral disorder on a daily and regular basis in at least grade 5 according to S-CGI, or from a behavioral disorder of equivalent severity according to another valid professional scale, lasting over 6 months and including: extreme restlessness, daily crying or screaming events for long episodes of time (30 minutes), recurring questions accompanied by severe anxiety, etc., or patients who at least once a week hurt themselves or others or break objects, in a way that requires physical restraint, and the outbreaks last more than ten minutes, or patients who at least once a month physically harm themselves and/or others in a way that causes real damage to the point of requiring medical treatment or which is clearly life-threatening.
   After trying and failing an adequate combination of behavioral and pharmacological treatment, including two antipsychotic drugs.
2. The recommendation will be given by physicians specializing in pediatric neurology and child development, or by psychiatrists specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry, along with the required documents.

Epilepsy – Adults
For adult patients diagnosed with severe epilepsy for at least two years and suffering from a significant functional disorder, which limits them considerably in their daily life and is characterized by a frequency of at least one seizure a month, with documented pharmaceutical treatment.

The application will be made after trying and failing at least 4 antiepileptic drugs registered as monotherapy or as a fixed-dose combination. The recommendation for treatment will be submitted by the specialist neurologist who treats the patient in an epilepsy clinic in one of the medical centers. A clinic where the patient is monitored for at least six months prior to submitting the application. And this is if exists documentation of trying and failing at least 2 medications during the treatment period in the clinic.

Epilepsy – Children
For minor patients suffering from severe uncontrolled epilepsy, after trying and failing conventional treatments of at least four medications/treatments including resistance to conventional treatments.

The recommendation for treatment will be submitted by the attending pediatric neurologist, with a commitment to perform medical follow-up every three months, at the very least, until the balance is achieved. And followed by regular semi-annual medical follow-up.

For patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who meet the following criteria combined:

1. Moderate severity or higher (at least 30% disability according to the sections of the Social Security/Ministry of Defense), which lasts over 3 years and is characterized by great mental distress.
2. At least 2 conventional drug interventions have been exhausted, each intervention for a minimum period of two months, as well as 2 conventional psychological interventions.
3. Absolute contraindication to treatment: a history of psychosis or drug abuse.