“It is important therefore that we recognize those calls for help, that we put in place what we know will support a safe, legal and sustainable supply of a product”, she continued.
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“I’m hoping that it will involve a few sort of medical amnesty which could happen immediately but I guess I’m waiting to see the finer detail”, she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Under Australian law, decriminalization and medical trials come under state government jurisdiction.
The government plans to create a licensing scheme to ensure that the cultivation of marijuana meets Australia’s worldwide obligations and to manage the supply of the drug from farm to pharmacy.
“Currently there are already systems in place to license the manufacture and supply of medicinal cannabis-based products in Australia, however there is no mechanism to allow the production of a safe, legal and sustainable local supply”, Ley explained.
Senator Di Natale says there is a “bottle neck” between growth and patient supply and the legislation announcement by the government does nothing to address access the drug.
Australia’s Health Minister Sussan Ley said the government is finalising draft amendments to the Narcotics Drugs Act 1967 to allow controlled cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes.
“This Government is incredibly sympathetic to the suffering of those Australians with debilitating illnesses and we want to enable access to the most effective medical treatments available”, Ms Ley said.
A Greens bill now before the parliament has attracted support from across the political spectrum.
Its first batch began, marked as a “dietary supplement”, began retailing in Germany in August for around 3 euros each ($4.70) and can be purchased online with plans to produce another 1 million CBD (Cannabidiol) capsules by the end of the year.
According to the Guardian, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland-Australia’s three most populous states-have already pledged “to hold trials on the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis to provide pain relief for people suffering terminal illnesses, control severe childhood epilepsy and for the treatment of symptoms arising from chemotherapy”. Ley stressed that this did not in any way indicate that legal recreational marijuana use was any nearer.
Party leader Bill Shorten said people who are terminally ill or have other medical conditions will have access to medicinal cannabis under the policy unveiled on Friday.
“The Commonwealth licensing scheme will set out the obligations and legislative framework requirements for states and territories looking to set up agricultural industries”, Ms Ley said.
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Any medicinal cannabis will be regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
