Queensland patients with life-threatening conditions looking for alternative treatments celebrate today after new laws passed to allow medical cannabis.
The law passed in the state’s hung parliament, and is referred to as the Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill. It will provide a framework that, with approval from the Government�and the Therapeutic Goods Administration, will allow medicinal cannabis to be prescribed and dispensed to patients. The bill continues to maintain laws prohibiting unauthorised use.
Cameron Dick, the state’s health minister, said the reform was “groundbreaking” in a statement to Parliament on Wednesday night.
“This bill will change the paradigm for seriously ill patients who often feel compelled to seek out illicit cannabis treatment options.”
Mr. Dick was also quick to clear up some of the misinformation that had surrounded the bill, including the concept that the legislation would only allow for synthetic cannabis products.
“The bill enables access to both synthetic and botanically derived cannabis products,” he said.
How The Law Works
Through the new law, patients who qualify to access medical cannabis will be able to do so in two ways. Either they will need to get a prescription from a specialist doctor, such as an oncologist or neurologist, or they’ll need to get help from medical practitioners who will apply to Queensland Health for approval.
The law will not allow patients to grow cannabis of their own, with Mr Dick saying there were “significant safety risks” associated with no oversight from bodies like the TGA.
John-Paul Langbroek, the health spokesperson from the Liberal National Party, said that while there were some issues in his mind, including past cases where medicinal cannabis had been sourced illegal by patients, there were benefits as well. It is difficult to properly estimate how much the treatment option will be in demand, but there are certainly a number of HIV/AIDS patients, MS patients and cancer patients who could potentially benefit from the new laws. However, Mr Langbroek was concerned that the legislation could result in a “duplicative and complex process” between the law and the Therapeutic Goods Act.
Currently, medical cannabis is legalised in some form in Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United States. Queensland did pass legislation last year to access the drug, but only one person was approved. When the laws come into action in March next�year it is expected that more people will apply.
Source – Sky News
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