Page 4267 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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November last year. The national bill proposed that an independent office of medicinal cannabis be established to oversee the regulation of supply, distribution, possession and use of cannabis at a national level. The national bill was referred to the legal and constitutional affairs legislation committee for inquiry and a report was presented by that committee in August this year.
A number of recommendations were made, particularly surrounding issues identified in relation to legal matters. Subject to the recommendations, some of which are complex and onerous, the committee recommended that the bill be passed. The introduction of a national bill represents an important step in developing a national approach to this important issue, and developments in this area will be watched closely by the ACT government.
Another significant recent development is that the commonwealth government announced in October this year that it will seek to amend the Narcotics Drugs Act 1967 to allow the controlled cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes in Australia. This could facilitate the establishment of a domestic cannabis industry which would assist with the production and supply of a high quality, regulated product for people requiring medicinal cannabis in Australia.
As you can see, Mr Assistant Speaker, the issue of medicinal cannabis is being thoroughly discussed throughout Australia. The ACT government supports the compassionate intent behind Minister Rattenbury’s bill. However, the practical implementation of the scheme as proposed in the bill would be extremely challenging. Instead, we reiterate our support for a national approach and the supply of a regulated, quality controlled product.
We also note that there is scope for further investigation of appropriate means for making medicinal cannabis available in the ACT. As I mentioned previously, the Victorian government’s intention to license the cultivation of cannabis for distribution under the authority of medical practitioners is a significant development. If there is to be a commercial supply of cannabis grown in Victoria, this may facilitate the provision of a standardised product in the ACT, although it remains the government’s position that a process for the provision of a standardised cannabis product occur on a national basis.
The ACT is also supportive of the use of medicinal cannabis in a clinical trial setting. Palliative care is a potential area of interest in which clinical trials could be performed in the ACT. The government is giving consideration to exploring this further. The government is also supportive of further investigation into the feasibility of a terminal illness cannabis scheme—a TIC scheme—such as that operating in New South Wales. Another area where the ACT could lead in the development of a compassionate medicinal cannabis scheme is the education of our medical professions as to the appropriate indications and methods of using medicinal cannabis. I will be pursuing all of these matters as Minister for Health and discussing them further with colleagues, in particular, with Mr Rattenbury.
In summary, although the government agrees with the committee’s recommendation that the Assembly not agree to the proposed Drugs of Dependence (Cannabis Use for
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