Medical Cannabis in the ACT

The ACT is could become the first state in Australia to legalise the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The ACT Greens have introduced draft legislation to the government but the debate is ongoing, leaving those who could benefit from the drug to either go without, or to find other ways to obtain it. Claire Grinsell-Jones reports.

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The ACT Greens proposal for the legalisation of medical cannabis has been tabled in ACT Legislative Assembly.

Their policy would allow sufferers of chronic or terminal conditions to both grow and use cannabis provided they have a medical declaration approved by both a doctor who specialises in their condition and the Government’s Chief Health Officer.

According to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre up to one in six chronic pain sufferers in Australia is already using cannabis illegally to treat their symptoms.

Michael Moore, the CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), is a former Independent member in the ACT Legislative Assembly and was instrumental in the decriminalisation of marijuana in the ACT. The PHAA have their own policy on medical cannabis.

Cannabis has been legalised for medicinal use in many countries around the world including the UK, Canada, and 24 of the United States.

Public opinion surveys from the Australian Government Department of Health indicate that nearly 70% of Australians approve of the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use.

Community consultation on the proposed legislation ended on the 15th of September and the proposal is now expected to be presented to the ACT Legislative Assembly.

[Filed on 2 October 2015]