Medical cannabis: Victorian Government to amend legislation to allow drug trials
New laws that will allow for medical trials of cannabis will be introduced into the Victorian Parliament today.
The drug is currently listed as a prohibited substance by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, but there is growing support to allow the drug to be used by people suffering from terminal illnesses.
Victorian Health Minister David Davis said the legislation would amend the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act to support "properly-structured clinical trials" with ethical approvals in place.
"This is about making it easier for properly-constructed clinical trials to occur," he said.
"This is one part of ensuring that proper medicinal products are available in a safe way."
Medical cannabis can be used to help treat people with life-threatening seizures and to offset the side-effects of chemotherapy.
Greens Senator Richard di Natale supports the use of medicinal cannabis and said the proposed amendments will have a "minimal impact" because medical trials are already underway.
He said there is very strong evidence for the use of medicinal cannabis.
"It has significant benefits for conditions such as nausea from chemotherapy, from some forms of neogenic pain, muscle spasms for conditions like multiple sclerosis," he told 774 ABC Melbourne.
Senator di Natale said the bottom line is there is recognition from the scientific community that we need to act.
"What we have to do is effectively change the scheduling of cannabis. It's currently scheduled as an illegal drug," he said.
"We've got to make a special category through the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) for medicinal cannabis and it then should be available under prescription from a doctor."
Not enough time to pass amendments: Opposition
In August, the Victorian Labor Party pledged to legalise medical cannabis if it wins the November election.
The Opposition said the drug should be made available for use by people with terminal illnesses or life-threatening conditions.
Labor's Gavin Jenning said while the Government bill d_id_ not go as far as Labor's, the Opposition will likely to support the bill.
However it is unlikely there is enough time to pass it before Parliament rises for the election.
"Labor would support the legislation, as inadequate as it is," he said.
"The Napthine Government has actually delayed its legislative program so slowly, that I don't think any bill that's introduced this week, will be passing the Parliament before the election."
