Medicinal cannabis campaigners and a millionaire investor have criticised governments for their approach to the so-called‘ wonder drug’ By Stephen Mudd http:// www. dailyadvertiser. com. au / story / 4375194 / cannabis-campaigners-criticise-trials-poll /
Clinical trials of medicinal cannabis will begin in NSW, but Narrandera medical marijuana advocate Rach Cregan said patients were unwilling to trade an illegal treatment that worked for a legal trial that might not.
“ The drug they’ re trialling is missing the THC, that’ s the essential ingredient that makes a difference,” Ms Cregan said.
“ Terminal patients don’ t want or need false hope, if they’ re getting results with what they’ re using, why would they change?
“ Anyone who’ s done the research can see where this trial is flawed, the government had the potential to take control of the black market but instead it’ s backfired on the people who need it the most.”
NSW Minister for Medical Research Pru Goward announced clinical trials for up to 250 patients would begin in January. However, campaigners have called it a small step in a slow and cumbersome process that ignored the urgent needs of patients.
High-profile campaigner Lucy Haslam, who gave her son medicinal cannabis until he died from bowel cancer, said a more compassionate approach would be helpful.
“ I’ m frustrated with how long this is taking, it’ s not really looking after the patients at all,” Mrs Haslam said.
“ The lack of humanity is shameful, if you let an animal suffer like this you’ d be dragged over hot coals.
“ I’ m contacted every day by people whose loved ones are going through hell and the fact that cannabis is still part of this‘ war on drugs’ is ridiculous.”
Proponents of medicinal cannabis point to a man named Rick Simpson, who claimed to cure himself of cancer with‘ hemp oil’ in 2003, for proof of the drug’ s healing properties. Mr Simpson allegedly found THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, to be a miracle cure for cancer.
Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley, who unveiled the Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis, said she believed in the product but not every doctor did, so she wanted to make sure medicinal cannabis went through the same drug testing process as any other drug.
“ Testing for the Therapeutic Goods Administration is massive and intense, it takes years,” Ms Ley said. **********
Editor’ s note: please refer to the end of this article for a statement made in November / December 2015 issue of‘ the leaf’ – total contradiction!!!
“ It’ s appropriate to do it as quickly as possible but there’ s always the special access scheme for terminally ill patients with no hope for treatment.
“ We want to see doctors be the centre of care for this drug.”
Earlier this month Australia’ s largest medicinal cannabis grower, backed by BRW rich-lister Barry Lambert, decided to move to the US because of tight legal restrictions.