.jpg?fit=900%2C676)
Australians suffering severe illnesses – like cancer, epilepsy and motor neurone diseases – will no longer have to turn to the black market or wait months for overseas shipments to access medicinal marijuana.
Health Minister Greg Hunt will announce today that it can be sold in Australia, as long as patients visit their doctor to request it.
The federal parliament gave medicinal marijuana the green light last year for patients with painful and chronic illnesses, but with no legal market in Australia, the regulatory paperwork and compliance to receive cannabis products from overseas often caused significant delays.
Mr Hunt will announce companies can now apply to distribute cannabis oils and medications locally, which will kick start and immediate legal marijuana trade.
“That won’t happen overnight, but what we’ve done here is issue a call for people to be able to establish an interim supply for and within Australia through importation,” he told the ABC.
The Office of Drug Control (ODC) says legalising the drug will combat concerns over supply.
“The legislation was changed due to a growing awareness of the potential benefits of medicinal cannabis products within the medical community; however, there is a global shortage of appropriate products that can be prescribed,” says the ODC website.
“The legislation provides for the cultivation and manufacture of Australian produced medicinal cannabis products, addressing the supply shortage and expanding the tools available to medical practitioners where appropriate.”
Victoria has already harvested a crop, planted at a secret site last April, which is to be used exclusively for children with severe epilepsy this year.
The medicinal marijuana will be available to patients suffering cancer, HIV, severe epilepsy, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis, amongst others, but rules will vary from state to state regarding age restrictions and other conditions.
“We have listened to the concerns of patients and their families that are having difficulty accessing the product while domestic production becomes available,” Mr Hunt told News Corp Australia.
“We are now making it easier to access medicinal cannabis, while still maintaining strict safeguards for individual and community safety. As part of these changes, importers can source medicinal cannabis products from a reputable supplier overseas and store these in a safe, secure warehouse in Australia.”
