Tasmanias Legislative Council to hold inquiry into medical cannabis 4 Jul 2014 Tasmanias Legislative Council will hold an inquiry into the medicinal use of cannabis. The idea was proposed by Ruth Forrest, the independent Member for Murchison, and in a telephone hook-up the Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) supported her. The decision follows the State Governments rejection of a proposal from a local company to trial the growth, processing and administration of medicinal cannabis in conjunction with the University of Tasmania. Ms Forrest has told 7.30 Tasmania the Government was wrong not to consider the proposal. Personally Im disappointed that theyre not going to look at it... not only for another agricultural crop in the state, obviously it needs regulation, but also for the people out there who have a variety of medical conditions that dont respond well to other forms of treatment, she said. Weve got strict regulatory requirements around our poppy industry ... it would be easy to slip something into place alongside that. Rick Rockliff, field operations manager for Tasmanian Alkaloids. I think theyre being a little bit narrow-minded in the view here, in that its just about smoking joints - its not. The MLCs have agreed to establish a parliamentary committee to investigate the issue and will seek public submissions as part of its inquiry. The Legislative Council will submit its report on the issue to Parliament next year. Ministers father says medical cannabis not a threat to poppy Meanwhile, the father of Agriculture Minister Jeremy Rockliff has rejected his sons claim that medical cannabis poses a threat to Tasmanias lucrative poppy industry. Rick Rockliff is a poppy grower and field operations manager for the poppy processing company Tasmanian Alkaloids. In rejecting the proposal for a medical cannabis trial the Minister said growing medical marijuana would threaten the poppy industry. I can either be brave enough to stand out and give Alive the medical cannabis or I can watch her die in my arms Nicole Cowles But that is not the case, according to his father. I personally dont see it as a threat at all, Rick Rockliff said. He told the ABCs Country Hour program that Tasmania would be better placed than other states to grow cannabis because of the regulations already in place for poppies. Weve got strict regulatory requirements around our poppy industry and I guess it would be easy to slip something into place alongside that, he said. Yesterday New South Wales MPs visited poppy processing plants in Tasmanias north to research their bid to legalise medicinal cannabis. Mother says medical cannabis is a life saver Nicole Cowles, whose eight-year-old daughter Alice suffers from a rare genetic condition, wants to see medicinal cannabis used more widely. Ms Cowles believes medical cannabis saved her daughters life. Alice suffers from a condition called CDKL5, which triggers frequent serious seizures - up to 30 a day and some lasting as long as an hour. Her mother spent years looking for ways to alleviate Alices seizures, and the research led her to medical cannabis, which she began to source from interstate. We started the trial earlier this year, and almost instantly her seizures stopped, Ms Cowles said. And not only did her seizures stop but her growth and development has been phenomenal. Ms Cowles was told Alice would never walk or talk. Now Alice is walking and communicating and has only had two seizures in the past six weeks. Medical cannabis has definitely saved her - we have no other choice, she said. Its not a choice to take medical cannabis for Alice. I can either be brave enough to stand out and give Alive the medical cannabis or I can watch her die in my arms. abc.net.au/news/2014-07-04/mlc-to-hold-inquiry-into-medical-cannabis/5573294
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 05:07:12 +0000
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