Monday 21 August 2017

The government’s cannabis scheme provides no guarantees that very sick people can get the best treatment they need: many serious conditions are excluded, patients and carers still risk being charged and there is no provision for supply. In Parliament, I supported a Labor bill for a scheme that would ensure people with a terminal illness or a serious medical condition can access cannabis products without criminal liability. My speech is HERE. 

Cannabis can reduce pain, nausea, muscle spasms and seizures, and improve hunger and problems associated with chemotherapy. The risks in expanding its use in medicine are low and the government’s overly cautious approach is leading to unnecessary suffering.