[Payaso]

How is this new rule going to affect growers in Oz?

Hope you can let us know what is going on down under...

Over here the media only gives us those little sound bites... no real info.

[KITCHA]

Hey Payaso, They will be releasing two types of licenses to grow. One for research the other for medical. It sounds like it will only be for large businesses as opposed to smaller growers. There is talk of cop-ops forming but its all about 6 months away from being finalised. The economy is struggling and they did a study on the potential taxs they could raise. (400m annually) this was released about two weeks before they changed the laws. Tonnes of Mullumbimby Madness being exported in 2017/2018 I have no doubt.

[Globule]

Hey there Payaso,

I've been collecting some info of the status of Medical Cannabis in Australia which I agree is very important to share with the Aussie community.
I can't attest to the accuracy of all the info myself (as I'm not a lawyer, and haven't dug deeper) but it is a legit source so a good point to start with if anyone has more recent info to add to this.

Share the knowledge and good things will happen! Hope this might help people so here you go...

===========================

Introduction

1. The Federal Government has announced it will legalise the growing of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The government is currently in the process of finalising draft amendments to the Narcotics Drugs Act 1967 to allow Commonwealth licensing of the cultivation of cannabis in Australia for medicinal or scientific purposes, given Australia’s international obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 (Convention).

2. A Commonwealth licensing scheme within the Department of Health will be created to ensure cultivation meets Australia’s international obligations. This scheme will set out the obligations and legislative framework requirements for states and territories looking to set up agricultural industries around the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes.

3. Convention Requirements:
(a) the convention requires the cultivation and manufacture of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes to be undertaken in a very specific way. Cultivation may take place only under licence to a single national agency, which must take physical possession of the total crop from the licensee;

(b) a government owned enterprise may then either manufacture the cannabis into another form, or issue licences permitting companies to engage in manufacturing; and

(c) stocks of cannabis must at all times be held by the national agency or by manufacturers of the medicinal cannabis products.

4. These requirements ensure that signatories must report annually to the convention board about the amount of cannabis they estimate will be legitimately used for medical and scientific purposes over the coming year. Accordingly, the Commonwealth government has a responsibility to give effect to the rules of the Convention. These rules cannot be undermined by state governments.



Applying for medicinal use in Australia:

1. For any form of cannabinoid to be approved for medicinal use in Australia, an application needs to be made to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) with the supporting data to assess quality, safety and efficacy- just like any other medicine.

2. This process aims to maintain the same high safety standard for medicinal cannabis products that applies to any other experimental or emerging medicine. If sufficient clinical evidence is provided, the TGA may decide to approve the application, and include the product on the Australia Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), allowing it to be supplied in Australia.

3. There is already one pharmaceutical registered on the ARTG that contains cannabinoids.
Sativex is registered in Australia for symptom improvement in patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (MS).

4. The government cannot compel a sponsor to make an application to the TGA to have a product registered, and the TGA assessment process is made independent of ministerial involvement.


Current Developments:

1. Regulator of Medical Cannabis Bill 2014

(a) In November of 2014 the regulator of Medical Cannabis Bill 2014 (cth) was introduced to the Senate as a Private member’s Bill.

(b) The Bill establishes the Regulator of medicinal Cannabis, an agency that would:

(i) approve medicinal cannabis products for inclusion in a register of regulated cannabis products;

and

(ii) make, and monitor compliance with, rules for licensing the production, use, experimental use and import and export of medicinal cannabis.

(c) The proposed regulator is designed to satisfy the requirements of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs regarding government supervision of licensed cannabis cultivation.

2. Draft Drugs of Dependence (Cannabis Use for Medical Purposes) amendment Bill 2014 (ACT)

(a) The Standing Committee on Health, Ageing, Community and Social Services of the Australian

capital territory Legislative Assembly is also considering proposed medicinal cannabis

legislation- the Drugs of Dependence Bill 2014 (ACT).

(b) The purpose of the draft bill is to set up a licensing system for patients to possess and grow their own cannabis for medicinal purposes if approved by the Chief Health Officer. Patients would be able to make one of three types of application:
(i) Category 1: for the mitigation of symptoms of a terminal illness;
(ii) Category 2: for the mitigation of one or more listed symptoms associated with a listed condition, set out in a table, such as cancer.
(iii) Category 3: for the mitigation of a symptom of any other medical condition or its treatment.

(c) The application would need to be supported by a statement from a doctor- once approved the patient would be permitted to possess cannabis which would essential amount to a licence to possess and use.

(d) The patient would also be permitted to seek a licence to cultivate cannabis either personally or on their behalf by a nominated carer.

3. Tasmanian parliamentary inquiry

(i) In November 2014, the Government Administration Committee ‘A’ of the Tasmanian Legislative Council released an interim report on the use of natural botanical medicinal cannabis flower for medicinal purposes.

(ii) The report noted that many Tasmanians were already using cannabis medicinally and that the law did not provide protections for these users or those that supply them

(iii) The committee recommended immediate legislative change, on compassionate grounds, to protect users from facing criminal charges associated with possession and administration.


4. Norfolk Island licence to cultivate and export cannabis

(a) In April 2015, the responsible minister announced that AusCann Group Holding Pty Ltd had lodged an application for a licence to "import, export, plant, cultivate, tend or harvest and sell" cannabis, for the purpose of establishing a medicinal cannabis industry on Norfolk Island.

(b) The legislation permits the Minister to grant such a licence under such conditions as it thinks appropriate with the discretion to cancel at any time.

(c) These laws have been repealed and replaced by local NSW laws.

[b00m]

It's another win for Big Pharma and that's it, we still won't be able to grow or really possess it for personal or medical use.
People who require medical marijuana will receive it heavily processed from some big pharma company and it more than likely will be in pill form, no smoking or vaping or making edibles or Rick Simpson Oil, nothing in the slightest like America or anywhere else in the world with Medical Marijuana, Australia is in bed with all the big companies and they stand to probably make a shit load of money but us the people of Australia will just be given another bitter pill to swallow
Australian politicians have no fucking balls and really don't give a shit about it's people and they only do if there's a shit load of money to be made from it whilst acting like the people are getting what they asked for, Hey you asked for Medical Marijuana so here it is, in pill form and don't even think of growing it yourself as we the government will take care of all of that, just sit back an take your pills and be good an quiet about it all

Makes me fucking sick how much of a joke this is going to be

[Globule]

Hey b00m!
Love your work brother and i hear you but I believe things will get better in the future.

Yes big pharma/corporate have the upper hand in the short term but when has it been any different?
I understand what you're saying but they can't win the long game.

That's like saying Jacob's Creek cask wine is the be-all and end-all of Australian red wine which we know is not the case (pardon the pun).
Supply & demand will prevail, and Australian adult citizens will eventually get the choice they deserve (given that they are adults and all that crazy shit about being able to make informed decisions, etc...)

We should be more worried about the old darling of the Austrlian economy (i.e. Australian mining/resource companies) selling their now-profitless shell/dead corporate structures to overseas interests so they may avoid the complication of setting up their own operations here locally, yet enable them to operate and grow our beloved cannabis on unreachable terms for the average Australian grower (personal or commercial).

Legislation here requires anyone holding a licence to grow right now in Oz must meet almost pharmaceutical grade growing conditions which is cost prohibitive for the averge Aussie grower. (It's hard enough for me to consider buying a new 600w ballast ffs...)

Hopefully sanity will prevail in the future and Australia will be afforded a model similar to most legal/mmj countries/states where individuals (choosing cannabis over pharmaceuticals to improve their lives to their personal satisfaction) can elect a grower/provider and that grower can grow x number of plants.

Allow Australian adults the choice that has been around since the basic economic principle of supply and demand was established back when single-celled organisms chose to split to two-celled organisms (or not).

I have great faith that we can all find a good place to be in the future of cannabis in Australia if we want to.

[b00m]

I know I come off as a pessimist in regards to Australia getting Medical Marijuana and believe me, as a chronic pain patient I am all for it, I just don't trust the majority of Australian politicians and having been born in the Sunshine Police State I still to this day have friends locked up for marijuana, I don't trust the pricks one little bit.
The Liberals are way fucking worse than Labor (in my humble opinion) and with the Libs it's all about how much money can they get their grubby hands on, not about helping out the sick and needy or even giving Australians the basic right to grow a fucking wonderous plant, the fuckers know that Australia is a perfect bloody climate to grow marijuana and they also know that if they allow us to grow our own, people will be helping/fixing cancer patients and a long list of other illnesses with their killer killer home grown dankness and if that happens, then there is NO MONEY FOR BIG PHARMA and the Pollies
The liberals will not let that happen ever
As a chronic pain patient I would LOVE to see a open grow your own medicine type Medical Marijuana Scheme happen here in OZ, but I just won't hold my fucking breath waiting for it to happen, I for one will gladly operate outside their fucking laws and self-medicate and grow my own medicine whilst they roll out this big pharma bullshit onto the citizens of Australia and continue to put good people in jail and /or ruin their lives.
Sorry I know I'm a hard-headed pessimist prick but I am open to change, just change for the better for us the people not the bastards in power.
peace an puffs

[Globule]

Totally agree with you bro!

I will also continue to grow my own happiness, regardless of what is considerd legal or not.
Reason i started growing was to be self-sufficient and to be able to consume something of quality I could not buy elsewhere.

Like you and most others on these forums though I'm hoping for better

[b00m]

Totally brother I am all for a better utopia
It would be nice to have more of a option than a couple of mates incredible homegrown or that commerical PGR shit that gets pumped out by the warehouse full
God the shit in Adelaide that was getting palmed off as weed
Made me give up smoking in between harvests it was soooooo bad

[aunz420]

Hi all,

I have been lurking on these forums for a while and finally registered today!

I am watching this medical cannabis space closely in Australia. It appears to be moving fairly quickly, which is great, but it will be interesting to see how the state governments implement the growing side of things. I think we would all agree that there is zero chance initially of personal or small-scale growing. Maybe in the future, but it will be baby-steps.

I also get the impression that fully indoor will also be unlikely to gain a license and that outdoor/greenhouse will be preferred. I've heard comments about replacing canefields with cannabis...I think they are dreaming if they think they can grow medicinal quality cannabis fully outdoors at that scale.

Here are some links for those interested:

Federal Legislation

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_...sult?bId=r5609

Queensland

https://www.health.qld.gov.au/system...is/default.asp

Victoria

https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/publi...cinal-cannabis

[b00m]

Great post there aunz420 mate
Welcome to the nuthouse
Any time you want to hang out in the smoker's lounge bro the door is always open