THE Standing Committee on Health, Ageing, Community and Social Services has tabled its report on the Inquiry into the Exposure Draft of the Drugs of Dependence (Cannabis Use for Medical Purposes) Amendment Bill 2014 and related ACT Greens discussion paper, titled ‘Medicinal Cannabis’.

“The evidence presented to the Committee does suggest that cannabis has a medical potential, and the ACT should therefore look further into the regulations, costs and medical trials needed to progress a medicinal cannabis scheme,” said Chair of the Committee Chris Bourke.

However, the Committee recommended that the ACT Government reject the Draft Bill in its current form.

“The Draft Bill presented here is naive and ill considered,” Chris said.

“The Committee does support the compassionate principle behind the Bill, for those who are terminally ill or have serious medical conditions. However, the Bill doesn’t provide a workable regulatory framework or a proper means of supply.

“the Bill does raise some significant medical, legal and public health risks, and under any scheme there needs to be an assurance of a quality supply of medicinal cannabis.”

The Committee made a number of other recommendations including support for medical research on cannabis and cannabis products as well as on access to cannabis-derived or synthesised pharmaceutical products. The Committee was supportive of a national approach to medicinal cannabis, also suggesting that State, Territory and Commonwealth governments work together on advancing clinical trials of cannabis-based pharmaceutical products and crude cannabis.

The Committee listed a number of features that it felt should form part of any medicinal cannabis scheme, including the use of government-sourced or controlled cannabis, the issuing of a prescription from a medical practitioner, and ongoing education for medical practitioners and the community.

UPDATE: Shane has made his displeasure known:

ACT Greens MLA, Shane Rattenbury, said he is disappointed that an Assembly Committee isn’t supporting legislation to facilitate access to medicinal cannabis for those in need, even though the Committee recognised the therapeutic benefits.

The Standing Committee on Health, Ageing, Community and Social Services today presented its report in response to an ACT Greens bill to establish an ACT medicinal cannabis scheme.

“Unfortunately the Committee, comprised of Liberal and Labor members, does not support taking local action to establish a medicinal cannabis scheme, and instead it defers and delays any action, relying on possible federal action,” said Mr Rattenbury.

“What do suffering people do in the meantime? There is no guarantee of federal action on medicinal cannabis. NSW medical trials won’t even begin until 2016 and will take 2-5 years to get results.

“Over a decade ago the ACT Greens tried to introduce a medicinal cannabis scheme to the ACT. Liberal and Labor rejected it then, saying they would wait for trials, research and action from other jurisdictions. History repeats itself and today they have the same excuses.

“Even if the Government refuses to support my bill right now, it remains incumbent on them to take some action to assist people in need.

“The ACT Government should immediately indicate to the Abbott Government its willingness to participate in a federal medicinal cannabis scheme such as the one proposed in Senator Di Natale’s medicinal cannabis bill.

“If it won’t pass my legislation, and in the absence of a federal medicinal cannabis scheme, the ACT Government should at least create a simple licensing scheme and a register that law enforcement agencies can use to avoid prosecuting people using cannabis for genuine medical purposes. This has been done in NSW already.

“I will continue to pursue this matter and will bring my legislation to a vote in the Assembly in the middle of next year if there is no adequate action at the federal level.

“It is easy to raise challenges or imperfections to any medicinal cannabis scheme. But surely a level of imperfection is tolerable in exchange for allowing sick and dying people access to a treatment that can assist and help relieve suffering,” Mr Rattenbury concluded.