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Medical marijuana push gathers strength

Sep 24, 2014
A worker tending a legal medical marijuana crop in Israel.

A worker tending a legal medical marijuana crop in Israel.

The campaign to have medical marijuana legalised in South Australia is gathering momentum.

Shadow health minister Stephen Wade told InDaily the Liberal Party would be willing to join the Labor Government in discussing any proposed amendments to the state’s drug laws.

Premier Jay Weatherill recently told The Australian that if there was a “serious proposition put forward (regarding the legalisation of medical cannabis) that is backed by sensible research, then it is something that the government would consider”.

Changes to the laws that prohibit the use of medicinal marijuana for the terminally ill were mooted in August, with Greens Party Member Tammy Franks  calling fellow parliamentarians to a cross party roundtable to discuss the possibilities for “medical cannabis to be made legally and literally available in this state”.

In the first step towards legislative reform, members from all sides of state politics gathered last Thursday for a briefing from the Cannabis Council of South Australia.

Describing the briefing as “very useful”, Wade said the Liberal Party would remain open to any further discussion on the issue.

“We are going to be quite open to discussion and we are interested to see how the proposals are presented by the Greens,” Wade told InDaily.

“There are quite different approaches by the different states in the United States, so we want to know how it may look in South Australia.

“There is gathering momentum and debate in Australia and in the United States, and that is very helpful, because it means we have access to a lot of relevant information.”

“It’s certainly not as though we are trying to consider this issue in the dark.”

Wade’s comments follow a recent declaration from Prime Minister Tony Abbott that he would support the legalisation of medical marijuana.

In a letter addressed to, and read aloud by 2GB Radio’s Alan Jones last Thursday morning, The Prime Minister said he had ““no problem with the use of cannabis just as he has no problem with the medical use of opiates.”

While re-affirming his opposition to the recreational use of marijuana, Abbott – a former Federal Health Minister – went on to declare, “if a drug that is proven abroad is needed here, it should be available.”

In New South Wales, Premier Mike Baird announced last week that clinical trials would soon commence in the state to determine the safety and efficacy of marijuana usage for terminally ill patients.

With results from the trials not expected until late 2014, Baird said changes to the state’s Police Guidelines will soon take effect to give discretion to police officers to not charge terminally ill patients, and their carers, who use cannabis to alleviate pain symptoms.

Politicians in Victoria and Western Australia have also flagged their intention to have cannabis use legalised for terminally ill patients.

Under the reforms proposed by Victorian Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews, individuals suffering from cancer, as well as Parkinson’s Disease and MS, would be able to access marijuana without breaking the law.

In Western Australia, Health Minister Kim Hames has acknowledged the evidence supporting the benefits of cannabis extracts and has called on Federal Health Minister Peter Dutton to initiate TGA approved clinical trials.

Greens MP Tammy Franks said the Prime Minister’s statements would help solidify growing support for the issue ahead of her push to have the practice legalised in South Australia.

“When people like Tony Abbott, (NSW Premier) Mike Baird and (Head of The Victorian Labor Party) Daniel Andrews come out in the support it really helps,” Franks said.

“I think previously people have been scared to take leadership on this issue.

“But the truth is there is actually quite a lot of support for it, even more so with older people than with young people.”

Franks has put forward a motion in the Legislative Council calling for a formal roundtable on the matter – and she expects strong cross party support when the motion comes to a vote in November.

“We are working through the process of raising awareness before the vote in November,” Franks said.

“You would have to think that the politicians would have to be quite cold-hearted not to at least sit down and discuss the issue.”

Prior to the Greens led campaign, the current State Government had been unwilling to consider amending the Controlled Substances Act 1984 to allow for the use of medical marijuana by terminally ill cancer sufferers.

In March this year, 56-year-old Adelaide Man Leon Ozolins was sentenced to two-years imprisonment for cultivating a commercial quantity of marijuana that he used to help his wife who suffered, a ultimately died, from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

In sentencing, Judge Chivell said that while he had “great sympathy” for Mr Ozolins, the penalty of imprisonment was necessary to deter members of the community from committing a criminal offence.

Although both major parties have indicated they are willing to discuss legislative reform, Family First has said it will strongly oppose any campaign to legalise the drug in South Australia.

Family First MLC Dennis Hood said that with less harmful medical alternatives currently available, medical marijuana was both dangerous and unnecessary.

“The fact is we already have a TGA approved drug – Sativex – that can be used where medical marijuana is used,” Hood told InDaily.

“Marijuana is an addictive drug that is strongly associated with mental illness.

“The research shows that those who smoke prior to 25 years of age are six times more likely to have mental health issues later in life than those who don’t.”

While acknowledging the “good intentions” of medical marijuana advocates, Hood urged politicians to consider “the science” before moving to legalise cannabis use.

“Cannibas is often regarded as a softer drug, but anyone familiar with the scientific research can see that it is harmful.”

The legal status of medical marijuana is expected to be discussed at next month’s meeting of the Council of Australian Government’s (COAG).

Medical marijuana is currently legal in Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and numerous parts of the United States.

 

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