“About time.” That was the reaction of the Milton District Branch Country Women’s Association (CWA) to the federal government’s approval of the sale of medicinal marijuana in Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Wednesday (February 22) Health Minister Greg Hunt announced medicinal marijuana can be sold in Australia, if patients visit their doctor to request it.
“I think its a great idea,” Milton District Branch CWA president Jeanne James said.
“I watched my sister die from multiple sclerosis and I would have liked to have given her something to help.”
The announcement comes one week after the first licence for private cultivation was issued to Cann Group, allowing it to cultivate marijuana in Australia.
While the federal government legalised medicinal marijuana last year and each state regulates its cultivation, most cannabis sold here is imported from overseas.
Imports are permitted on a case-by-case basis and the system often incurs delays.
Mr Hunt said the changes announced on Wednesday would ensure there was enough supply for "all of the medical demand".
I don't know why it's taken them so long.
- Sylvia Franklin
"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 Fairfax Media.
"Last year, the law was put in place which made medicinal cannabis available.
“Now I want to deal immediately with the question of supply."
The legislative changes will make it much easier for patients to access medicinal marijuana in Australia, changes the CWA believe will improve healthcare.
“My sister was given morphine for pain on a regular basis and she was never in a relaxed state,” Mrs James said.
“She was always fidgety and was normally a relaxed person.
“I found it very hard to see her like that. [Medicinal marijuana] would have taken the edge off what she was feeling.”
In 2015 the CWA voted to publicly back to push to legalise medicinal marijuana in Australia, a decision members of the Milton District Branch said they hoped help sway policy makers.
“I don't know why it's taken them so long,” CWA member Sylvia Franklin said.
“They know the pain and suffering people go through - their carers too.
“People can now sleep easy and do the right thing for their loved ones.
“I like to think the CWA backing this has helped.”
Australian grown medicinal marijuana is expected to be available mid-year.
RELATED NEWS
