Growing support for medicinal cannabis

#1050 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 22 Mar 2015

While the dangers of cannabis use are well known, there is growing interest in the use of the drug for medicinal purposes, with a federal Senate committee inquiry considering the merits of a bill to regulate the cultivation, production and distribution of cannabis.

With the Baird government wanting to go it alone and announcing a process for clinical trials, the Australian Medical Association has called for a coordinated national approach that legalises “fully tested cannabis based medicines” but not the general production of cannabis plants, oils and tinctures.

The AMA’s position statement gives a long list of adverse short-term and long-term side effects of cannabis use, including egregious mental health outcomes.

In its submission to the senate inquiry, the Australian Christian Lobby indicates its support for scientific trials of cannabis for medicinal purpose, noting that “if cannabis has a genuine palliative effect that other drugs cannot provide, it should be available to patients in the same way other medications are.”

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.