Hodgman Government Ministers are giving wildly different reasons for the decision to block a trial of medicinal cannabis in Tasmania, Greens Health spokesperson, Cassy O’Connor MP, said today.
“On the one hand we have the Health Minister refusing to approve a clinical trial at UTAS for ‘safety and security’ reasons, on the other we have the Minister for Primary Industries justifying the refusal on the grounds of protecting the interests of Tasmania’s poppy industry,” Ms O’Connor said.
“Two Ministers, two different stories and neither of them a sound enough reason for knocking back a nation-leading trial of medicinal Cannabis for a treatment that has significant, proven health benefits, particularly to increase the appetites of cancer patients suffering the debilitating effects of chemotherapy.”
“Minister Michael Ferguson needs to keep suffering Tasmanians like young Mum, Natalie Daley, from the North West Coast at the front of his mind and review his decision to block the trial of medicinal cannabis at the University of Tasmania.”
“With the stroke of a pen, Mr Ferguson could ensure research on this important health issue is progressed in a safe, clinical trial at UTAS and put Tasmania at the leading edge of research nationally on medicinal cannabis.
“A humanitarian and compassionate approach would be to grant approval to allow this trial to proceed, and then have its outcomes peer reviewed and assessed on merit by medical experts and authorities such as the Therapeutic Goods Association.”
“Medical cannabis is now legally available in 22 U.S. States, backed up by a large body of medical research and last year, a NSW Legislative Council Parliamentary Committee, comprised of representatives from the National, Liberal, Labor, Shooters, and Greens parties, unanimously recommend that medicinal cannabis be made legally available for selected use pharmacotherapy.”
“The NSW parliamentary committee report states, “in general terms medical cannabis has potential as an effective treatment for some medical conditions with appropriate safeguards in place [and] cannabis products are emerging as a promising area of medicine, most notably in respect of a number of painful conditions that do not respond to existing conditions. Given this evidence, a compassionate approach is appropriate here…” [1]
“Tasmania could be positioned to do both what is caring and right by people suffering serious medical conditions, as well as securing investment in developing a local job-creating industry.”
“Tasmania has a proud and internationally recognised reputation for providing necessary safe and regulated conditions for the growing of opium poppies, which we should be leveraging to corner this potential industry and market.”
“It makes good health, medical and economic sense for the Minister, Michael Ferguson, to review his initial decision and allow the proposed trial of medicinal cannabis to proceed,” Ms O’Connor said.
REFERENCE: [1]”The use of cannabis for medical purposes, New South Wales Parliament, Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee, (Report no. 27), 15 May 2013; pg xi.
• Fiona Hills, in Comments: I object Minister Fergusson. Let the Truth set us Free. Cannabis for Wellness. As an ex-government employee and taxpayer I witnessed a letter in the late 1990’s from an American Alkaloid industry to the Tasmanian Government of the day, threatening that if the Tasmanian Government continued to support Patsy Harmsen/Tas Uni Hemp trials using low thc hemp for fibre and oil, that the Alkaloids would leave the State and take their investment with them… Why? Benefits of this old trial are enjoyed in industry of South Aus and Qld today, but not Tasmania?
• Cassy O’Connor: Medicinal Cannabis No Threat To Poppy Industry
Tasmanians deserve a detailed explanation why the Hodgman Liberal government has shut down a proposed trial of medicinal cannabis which could ease the pain and suffering of many, put Tasmania at the cutting edge of research nationally as well as grow local jobs, Greens Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said today.
“This government has not explained how it is that growing opium poppies for medicinal uses is OK, but holding a trial of medicinal cannabis is apparently a threat. These conflicting attitudes do not make sense,” Ms O’Connor said.
“For some unexplained reason, the medicinal properties of one plant are accepted, and our local industry embraced and protected, while the other is still subject to ill-informed fear-mongering.”
“Just last week, Primary Industries Minister, Jeremy Rockliff, joined a delegation of poppy growers to Canberra lobbying to secure Tasmania’s role as the nation’s sole opiate poppy grower.”
“We have also seen the welcome adoption by the Primary Industry Minister of last year’s Parliamentary Committee Inquiry’s recommendation that the State enables the establishment of an industrial hemp industry.”
“In this context, the closed minds approach of the Hodgman Liberal government towards a trial, conducted with UTAS, of medicinal cannabis does not make sense.”
“The Greens believe that a regulated medicinal cannabis industry in Tasmania would complement our established poppy industry and its international reputation for safety and quality. If Mr Rockliff has evidence otherwise, then he needs to detail to the Tasmanian people exactly how it would threaten the poppy industry.”
“The Liberals loudly proclaim they want Tasmania to be ‘open for business’, yet without providing any rigorous reasoning, they blindly shut down a potential new medical research and local primary industry opportunity before giving it a chance.”
“The Greens urge the Health Minister to keep an open mind and reconsider the proposed trial, in the interests of those Tasmanians suffering from debilitating conditions whose quality of life can be markedly enhanced through the use of medical cannabis,
“Otherwise Tasmanians deserve a comprehensive and detailed explanation as to why the strict rules and regulations which apply to our poppy industry cannot apply to medicinal cannabis, instead of just being fobbed off with weak and spurious excuses,” Ms O’Connor said.
