Stephanie Anderson
Medical marijuana will soon be easier to access amid moves by the Federal Government to loosen importation laws.
Imported medicinal marijuana — used to treat patients with chronic or
painful illnesses including cancer, severe epilepsy and motor neurone
disease — could be available under the Government's new scheme in eight
weeks, according to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.
The medication
is currently sourced from overseas on a case-by-case basis, but the new
scheme would see an interim fast track on importation while local
cultivation — which has been legal since October 2016 — increases to
meet demand.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was the "first time in
history" the Government would facilitate an import process for the
interim supply.
Mr Hunt said the change would ensure there were
sufficient supplies for "all of the medical demand", to be distributed
to patients who have requested it from their doctor.
"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 said.
"Last year, the law was put in place which
made medicinal cannabis available. Now however I want to … deal
immediately with the question of supply."
The Government last year legalised medicinal cannabis use and states
regulate its cultivation, with Victoria having already harvested its
first cannabis crop for medicinal use by people with epilepsy.
Mr
Hunt praised Victoria for its work in cultivating the crop, citing the
need for "safe, high quality, appropriately obtained medicine",
dismissing the potential for decriminalisation of wider cannabis use in
the future.
He said there was also a private cultivation program
being developed for long-term supply with the first licence issued last
week.
"Ultimately this is about the Government doing the right
thing under the strictest conditions. Safety and quality are paramount,"
he said.
A prominent medicinal cannabis campaigner welcomed the Government's move, but said problems remain with accessibility pathways.
Lucy
Haslam's son Dan was using medicinal cannabis to deal with the symptoms
of bowel cancer treatment before he died in New South Wales almost two
years ago.
She said Wednesday's change was "long overdue" but the
proof will be in how quickly patients are able to get medicinal cannabis
in their hands as many still find the application process for access
difficult.
"Even the process of finding an authorised prescriber [is hard]," she said.
"I'll
be looking to see how the Government makes it easier for patients, how
they marry up the disconnect between the patients looking for medicine
and being able to find somebody to prescribe it for them."
"They're
not allowed to advertise the fact that they can prescribe the drug, so
that's very difficult when you're a patient looking for somebody to
prescribe it," she added.
"That's what I mean in terms of hurdles
for patients, it's those sort of things which I think the Government
could sort out quite quickly."
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has urged caution about the sale of medicinal cannabis.
AMA vice-president Tony Bartone said many doctors were still waiting to see the results of clinical trials.
"The majority are still waiting for the proof, the reliable trials, the clinical evidence to come in," Dr Bartone said.
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