Adam Creighton, Primrose Riordan
Terminally ill
patients with a prescription to use marijuana should be able to obtain
the drug faster after the Turnbull government’s attempt to halt
importation of cannabis products was blocked in the Senate yesterday —
by an unlikely group of Labor and crossbench senators.
Regulations
established last year when the government was legalising medicinal
cannabis, and giving greater oversight to the Therapeutic Goods
Administration, were “disallowed”. This overturned restrictions on
certain patients from accessing cannabis products from overseas such as
Sativex, which the government admits has passed foreign safety
assessments.
“The Therapeutic Goods
Administration could not be clearer that it is a potential risk, not
just to health but to lives,” Health Minister Greg Hunt said, calling
the vote “irresponsible”.
Liberal
Democrat David Leyonhjelm said: “The arguments were basically
protectionist. Local producers had lobbied me and the other
crossbenchers to get us to vote against this.”
The NSW senator showed The Australian
a letter sent from Mr Hunt to senator Nick Xenophon last month that
said permitting importation “would put the burgeoning Australian
industry at a significant disadvantage to international suppliers”.
MGC
Pharmaceuticals CEO Roby Zomer said the vote was “a clear sign to
companies providing these vital products that Australia is relaxing its
tough stance on the issue, and that’s to the benefit of terminally ill
Australians and this growing industry”.
Senators Xenophon and Cory Bernardi voted with the government.
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