Medicinal cannabis gets green light

TASMANIANS will have access to medicinal cannabis from today under a new Controlled Access Scheme.

But questions have been raised about how many patients will be able to get hold of the product.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the State Government’s model involving referrals from general practitioners to specialists was a “responsible framework”.

Mr Ferguson said medical specialists would be able to apply to the Controlled Access Scheme for permission to prescribe medical cannabis products for patients where conventional treatments had failed and where there was clinical evidence of a product’s effectiveness.

Products prescribed under the scheme will only be dispensed through Tasmanian Health Service pharmacies.

“The Government acknowledges that many people in the community have an interest in accessing medical cannabis products, however, it is vital that this access is facilitated in a way that has a patient’s personal safety as the priority,” Mr Ferguson said.

“This is because the available clinical evidence around cannabidiol and other unregistered medical cannabis products is limited, and studies of the role and safety of these products are ongoing.”

Shadow Attorney-General Lara Giddings welcomed the progress on medicinal cannabis, but said the scheme outlined by Mr Ferguson might be too restrictive.

“How long will it take for a patient to see a specialist? We know waiting lists are already long,” Ms Giddings said.

“We continue to be concerned that restrictions on who and how people will be able to access medicinal cannabis will still be far too tight.”

Meanwhile, the Greens have released a more open medicinal cannabis policy which would allow Tasmanians to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes. Greens MP Andrea Dawkins said with many Tasmanians already growing and using cannabis for medicinal purposes, legal protections were needed.