The LEAF March/April 2016 | Page 25

Although the war on drugs put a stop to medical cannabis research for decades, in recent years we have seen a surge in studies being performed, as prohibition crumbles DQG WKH 6FKHGXOH  FODVVLILFDWLRQ RI ³QR PHGLFDOEHQHILW´ is exposed as a farce http://paincautions.com/2016/01/23/bigpharma-not-happy-80-of-cannabis-usersgive-up-prescription-drugs/ Reprinted with kind permission from the Examiner 31/1/16 By Emily Baker µ$FW VRRQ¶ RQ OHJDOLVLQJ GUXJ PHGLFLQDO cannabis ADVOCATES say desperate parents are turning to the underworld to source medicinal cannabis for their sick children and have urged the government to act quickly to legalise the drug. East Tamar woman Lyn Cleaver grows cannabis for use by her son, Jeremy Bester, who has severe epilepsy. Ms Cleaver said the oil had been the best treatment for the 24-year-old, with his pharmaceutical medication reduced by two-thirds since introducing the drug to his daily regime almost two years ago. But she said many parents were not game to grow the drug illegally themselves and were turning to shady drug dealers to medicate WKHLUFKLOGUHQµµ3HRSOHDUHVHHLQJWKHZRUWK of medicinal cannabis and actually SURFHVVLQJLWWKHPVHOYHVDQGVHOOLQJLW¶¶VKH VDLGµµ'HVSHUDWHpeople are buying products DQGWKH\GRQ¶WNQRZZKDW¶VLQWKHPDQGWKH parents of seriously ill children are getting involved in things they never would have imagined. µ,W¶V D IULJKWIXO VLWXDWLRQ¶¶ Federal Health Minister Ley announced in December that the government would create a nationally consistent licensing scheme regulating the controlled cultivation of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes to streamline the process nationwide. The states and territories were handed an exposure draft for comment in the same month and the legislation will be introduced LQWKHILUVWVLWWLQJSHULRGRIWKLV\HDUµµ,DP confident creating one single, nationally consistent cultivation scheme, rather than eight individual arrangements, will not only help speed up the legislative process but, ultimately, access to medicinal cannabis SURGXFWV DV ZHOO¶¶ 0V /H\ VDLG %XW 0V &OHDYHU¶VSDUWQHU0DOFROP$PXQGVHQVDLG DFWLRQ PXVW EH VZLIW µµ%\ QRW FRPLQJ IRUZDUG DV TXLFNO\ DV WKH\ FDQ WKH\¶UH pushing it further and fuUWKHUXQGHUJURXQG¶¶ he said.