Kerrie Tucker MLA
Member for Molonglo

Kerrie Tucker
Member for Molonglo

Phone:	02 6205 0161
Fax:	02 6205 0007
tucker@act.gov.au 

ACT Legislative Assembly
GPO Box 1020
Canberra  ACT  2601

 Medicinal use of Cannabis

This note is background to the exposure draft of a Bill to permit the medical use of cannabis, which was tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly, on 11 February 2004.

The proposed Bill would permit people suffering from chronic pain and a range of illnesses to self medicate, legally, with cannabis.  It would also permit them (or nominated care givers) to grow cannabis plants for that purpose. They would require the support of their GP and a permit from the Chief Health Officer.

Details of the scheme still need to be worked out in consultation with Government and people in the community.

Issues such as guidelines for doctors and the Chief Health Officer, the quantity of cannabis that could be approved, and any time frame to be put on this scheme would be dealt with in this way.
 
It is important to note that we are not looking to establish a system to supply the drug in any particular form nor to guarantee any particular quality.  The principle of the Greens’ approach at this stage is simply to lift the stigma from those people using cannabis for medicinal purposes, who are already having a hard time.

Of course, the NSW Government is committed to a trial of the supply of cannabis, possibly through a nasal spray system being developed in the US.  And we will watch that process very closely. 

In the meantime, however, consistent with requests from many community groups around Australia – ranging from the Tasmanian branch of the CWA to the multi-party Australian Parliamentary Group for Drug Law Reform – the ACT Greens are moving to permit the medical (but not the recreational) use of cannabis. 

People wishing to provide feedback should contact Roland Manderson in my office via email  roland.manderson@act.gov.au or by phone on 62050161.

12 Feb 2004