MP calls for Queenslanders to be allowed to grow cannabis for...

MP calls for Queenslanders to be allowed to grow cannabis for personal use

By Felicity CaldwellApril 4, 2019 — 3.26pm

Medicinal cannabis will be easier to access in Queensland with new laws passing Parliament but people should be able to grow their own, a Greens MP argues.

A bill passed on Wednesday night repeals laws from three years ago and means medical cannabis will be treated the same as other drugs of addiction (schedule 8 medicines) or prescription drugs (schedule 4).

Health Minister Steven Miles said the changes streamlined the prescription process by removing state-based approvals and would mean patients would have access to treatment sooner.

"If cannabis is a suitable way to treat a patient's condition or associated pain, then we believe they should have the same access to it as any other medication," he said.

"These changes mean medical cannabis will be treated exactly the same as other prescription medications."But Greens MP Michael Berkman said the repeal of the old regime reflected the government's broad unwillingness to deal with cannabis in a way that minimised harm, rather than putting people at risk of criminalisation.

"The bill does not address the ongoing concerns of advocates about the cost of these medicines and the difficulty in accessing them," he said."The bill does nothing to assist those who face criminal sanctions because of steps they have taken to access these medicines."

The minister said several companies were working towards producing medicinal cannabis products in Queensland.However, Mr Berkman said the Greens supported the legalisation and regulation of cannabis for adult use, "under the watch of a government regulator".

"We could allow people to grow cannabis for personal or medicinal use or purchase a quality controlled product from licensed retailers," he said.

LNP health spokeswoman Ros Bates said the opposition supported the health benefits of medicinal cannabis overseen by doctors to help patients where there was evidence it would help treat certain conditions.Medicinal cannabis can be used for conditions such as chemotherapy-induced nausea, epilepsy with severe seizures and palliative care.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/mp-calls-for-queenslanders-to-be-allowed-to-grow-cannabis-for-personal-use-20190404-p51apz.html