greens medicinal marijuana policy

[grace]

look at all the heroin coming outta Afghanistan and overdosing Aussies in syd and Melb and pple worldwide , who is interferring- occupying afghanistan? oh those fucking americans again and a few aussies tagging along with their friend?? then why is the heroin crop the biggest to come out of that country in the last 8 years?

 

i gotta stop this off-topic ranting

 

Yeah frazzle .. and the Australian govenment would have us believe that heroin was prohibited in this country and it's all imported from overseas.

 

I wonder who has the licence in this country to manufacture heroin under this law.

 

Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Victoria)

PART III MANUFACTURE OF HEROIN

 

Section 56: Manufacture of heroin etc.

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/con...981422/s56.html

[grace]

I just got an email from the greens after a short talk about marijuana and in particular medicinal marijuana and was asked to write up a rough draft policy regarding its use. to say the least im shocked, but in anycase its too good a chance to pass up so I would like some help if thats possible. I think all I will need to write up a fair policy will be what medical conditions marijuana treats for you and how much you need on a daily basis. I'm already biased when it comes to growing our own so i'll work out the plant numbers and the rest of it from your daily needs

 

If you have any suggestions feel free to share them as the more detailed this policy is the better

 

Hi WDC,

This may be useful

THC is legal in Australia, and available on prescription ... see legislation below

Minor amendments to health laws to clarify the situation and exempt medical users from criminal laws.

I have also put in an article about licence v permits below

As for permits to grow own ...

I don't approve of checks unless evidence of selling to minors etc

grace

 

grace

 

Queensland

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

Western Australia

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

ACT

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

Tasmania

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

South Australia

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

Note: Dronabinol is a pill form of THC made in USA however in Holland hemp flower is classified as Dronabinol. Can only be imported under the SAS.

 

However the Trade Practices Act and common law precedent may prohibit health departments from restricting/denying access to other forms of THC including natural form and locally grown. It's currently being challenged.

 

How to obtain a medical marijuana card

PR Cannazine

http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/content/view/544/27/

20 August 2008

 

As a resident of California I have heard a lot of different things about medical marijuana such as who is eligible and how to go about obtaining medical marijuana if you are eligible.

 

The laws that pertain to the medical use of marijuana in California were passed as part of proposition 215 and later amended as a result of state law SB-420.

 

I’ll begin with a common misconception among people that you need a medical marijuana "license" to get medical marijuana.

 

One thing that a medical marijuana prescription definitely is not is a license.

 

A license is something issued by the government authorizing you to partake in an activity which they regulate.

 

The most common example of this is a driver’s license. Whether or not you get a driver’s license is determined by the state.

 

They can and do withhold giving out driver’s licenses for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with your proficiency in driving a motor vehicle (If a minor is convicted of certain non-driving related crimes they can lose their eligibility to drive).

 

The difference with a medical marijuana prescription is that there is no need for the state to approve of your individual use of medical marijuana. Rather, the medical marijuana laws allow doctors to prescribe the use of medical marijuana for certain illnesses. This is, in fact, much better news for marijuana users than if the state issued licenses.

 

The government can’t take away your right to use a medicine that a doctor determines you would benefit from (As long as the medication is approved by the government).

 

Medical marijuana is basically just like any other prescription medication as far as the law is concerned with regards to its intended use.

 

The only thing that differs is the method of obtaining the medication. You can’t, after all, just go down to your local pharmacy and get a prescription filled for an ounce of the best hydroponically grown buds available.

 

What you can do, however, is go to any one of the increasing number of medical marijuana co-ops and cannabis clubs around the state and buy the best marijuana, hash, cookies, brownies and anything else they have that contains marijuana.

 

While these dispensaries remain illegal under archaic state and federal laws they are increasingly being approved at the local level and, due to their rising numbers and acceptance by citizens, are being allowed to continue to operate and thrive.

 

In addition to using dispensaries to obtain marijuana you can also cultivate it for your personal use.

 

In California you are currently allowed to have 12 immature plants or 6 mature plants. In addition, you are allowed to possess up to 8 ounces of dried buds. Different cities and counties in California have passed laws allowing patients to possess more plants than the minimum allowed by California law as well as allowing possession of more than 8 ounces at a time.

 

Since you’re allowed to possess up to 8 ounces you can basically buy the marijuana wherever you want because, as long as you aren’t caught in the act of buying the marijuana, there is nothing the authorities can do to you. Even if you are caught in the act of buying it is unlikely you would be convicted because you could plead that it was your only source to obtain reliable medicine.

 

So now that you know all about what it means to be a medical marijuana patient you are probably wondering how one would go about obtaining a medical marijuana prescription.

 

Many people are under the misconception that medical marijuana is available only to patients who are dying of an illness. However, since marijuana is a proven pain reliever it can be prescribed for any type of chronic pain.

All a patient needs is to have had the problem documented at some point by a physician.

 

While any doctor licensed by the state is allowed to prescribe medical marijuana you will probably find that a lot of them aren’t willing to for various reasons.

 

This is fine, however as they shouldn’t prescribe marijuana as medicine if they don’t feel comfortable doing this.

 

All you have to do is go to your regular doctor and have him or her document any medical condition that you have that qualifies for medical marijuana.

 

You do not need to tell your regular doctor that you will be going to get a medical marijuana prescription; you can just tell them that you need the diagnosis for your personal records.

 

After you have this document, (It can be as simple as a small piece of paper with a few words saying what your condition is and what medication you are currently using to treat the problem) then you need to find a doctor to go to who will give you a medical marijuana recommendation.

 

Check out the medical marijuana section on the links page, for a list of websites with doctors in California or your state.

 

You might have to travel a bit to see the doctor but rest assured as long as you have a note from your doctor describing your condition you will be able to get your marijuana prescription.

 

When you do go the see the doctor, you will most likely end up paying somewhere around $200 for the appointment. He will ask you a few questions about your condition. All you have to do is tell him that the problem is chronic and the current medication that you are using is not working.

 

To be safe, do some research to find out the possible side effects of any medication that you are currently taking for your medical condition. Almost any medication is going to have a list of possible negative side effects. Simply tell the doctor that you have been experiencing one or more of these side effects. The doctor will then most likely ask if you currently use medical marijuana to treat the condition. You should tell him that you are currently a marijuana user. Say that it relieves the symptoms of your condition and you do not experience any negative side effects from using marijuana.

 

This is pretty much all you need to do and you will be given your prescription for medical marijuana.

 

It might seem like a bit of a hassle but considering that it puts the law on your side, at least to a degree, I would say, it is worth every bit of the money and your time.

[andybotwin]

Fuck yeah Frazzle... I am a massive fan of the idea of drug licensing. Personally I think they should make drug licenses for all drugs, just like automotive or shooters licenses. For tobacco and alcohol, at least a 3 hour evening class, a weekend class for weed... Would there be any licensing aspect in your proposal WDC?

 

My wife is always on the look out for interesting topics to do healthcare research on, I already mentioned to her about "the benefits of patient participation in growing their own pharmaceuticals". Is there any other therapeutic values you guys can suggest as a side benefit of marijuana?

 

Keep up this good and important work WDC!

[bufo marinus]

hehe Frazzle

In regard to checks by the authorities

*Dex-amphetamine is available, for cash, in schools even, due to people/children! being able to sell an oversupply of the medication, typically 1 x 200 tablet prescription can be filled per month with the script user requiring one to two tablet a day, this type of drug abuse/misuse occurs.

*Oxycontin(I'm never touching that shit again ) is available, so is Morphine, Valium etc etc etc

I don't know what the answer is, just pointing out similar problems with other drugs open to balck market influences.

Also I think the fact that Cannabis can be manufactured at home is peculiar as well, not saying it has to be promoted as a negative fact either

The prescription bit makes sense too grace good read

Good work too WDC

[WantDaChronic]

im not really open to checks

i think that would be a serious invasion of privacy

personally i too hate the idea of allowing some random prick in my house to count my plants, weigh my stash, etc. but i honestly believe we should have no problem in allowing such checks to take place. The limitations imposed on us will be dictated by our treating doctors which means if you need to grow more you'll be able to get it. sure it will be an inconvienence having some person show up randomly demanding access to your grow room, but unless you are abusing the privledge of being allowed to grow your own there will be absolutely nothing to fear.

 

you have to remember that we are wanting to grow a medicine with a high potential to be sold on the black market. just like with other drugs security measures must be taken to prevent that access to the drug. one could argue that reporting the harvest yield to the government agency is enough, but as people could lie about how much they yielded so they can sell some i believe the checks must be made

 

You know WDC ive been of the opinion ppl need licenses to have/grow/use cannabis and by having such a license system that would have folks beleive the cannabis supply was controlled and monitored through this license system ... and a license system still gives the government the final say on who has license and whose license can be reviewed, withdrawn, or even cancelled.

The licenses are all about control, well to be more precise they are about giving a sense of control to the government and the general population. the fact of the matter is there will be people who abuse the right to legally grow their own medicine by growing more plants, under reporting their yield, etc. and allowing their excess to end up on the black market. The checks i proposed would help limit that sort of thing, but the government should have zero say in who gets a license to grow their own. infact i said if for one reason or another a patient cannot grow their own a state run grow should be setup to supply them. with that in mind anyone who is perscribed cannabis could therefor apply for a license to grow their own and be given a minimum of a 10 plant limit

 

The licenses would have to be up for review atleast every few years because of UN regulations, but unless you are caught abusing the license or your doctor thinks marijuana can no longer treat your conditions, then the license to cultivate your own medicine can't be taken away without breaking international law. as you can always get a second opinion about your medical requirements, so long as you dont break any of the laws regarding cannabis you'll be a-ok.

 

Grace, none of those links work

 

Would there be any licensing aspect in your proposal WDC?

I think there would have to be forms filled out detailing your personal information, medical conditions, treating doctor's info, etc. but apart from that all a perscon should need in order to get a license to cultivate medicinal cannabis is a perscription from their doctor for cannabis....im pretty sure there might be some unfair things suggested in parliament if this policy even makes it that far such as preventing people with drug convictions from obtaining a license to cultivate medicinal cannabis, but unless the government wishes to supply them the same quality herb for the same price at which they could grow it at home im pretty sure it would be a violation of their human rights

 

bufo i want cannabis pretty much treated like those overly perscribed medications with the exception we be allowed to cultivate it at home. i think if we were allowed to make those other drugs at home there would be stricter controls implimented than what im recommending for cannabis, but hey i could be wrong....

 

OK so in short people dont like the idea of having their grow rooms invaded by someone who wishes to count your plants, weigh your stash and then leave you alone...thats completely understandable, but for the sake of nit picking is there any other faults with my policy with the exception of my dodgy spelling ability?

[grace]

personally i too hate the idea of allowing some random prick in my house to count my plants, weigh my stash, etc. but i honestly believe we should have no problem in allowing such checks to take place. The limitations imposed on us will be dictated by our treating doctors which means if you need to grow more you'll be able to get it. sure it will be an inconvienence having some person show up randomly demanding access to your grow room, but unless you are abusing the privledge of being allowed to grow your own there will be absolutely nothing to fear.

 

you have to remember that we are wanting to grow a medicine with a high potential to be sold on the black market. just like with other drugs security measures must be taken to prevent that access to the drug. one could argue that reporting the harvest yield to the government agency is enough, but as people could lie about how much they yielded so they can sell some i believe the checks must be made

 

 

The licenses are all about control, well to be more precise they are about giving a sense of control to the government and the general population. the fact of the matter is there will be people who abuse the right to legally grow their own medicine by growing more plants, under reporting their yield, etc. and allowing their excess to end up on the black market. The checks i proposed would help limit that sort of thing, but the government should have zero say in who gets a license to grow their own. infact i said if for one reason or another a patient cannot grow their own a state run grow should be setup to supply them. with that in mind anyone who is perscribed cannabis could therefor apply for a license to grow their own and be given a minimum of a 10 plant limit

 

The licenses would have to be up for review atleast every few years because of UN regulations, but unless you are caught abusing the license or your doctor thinks marijuana can no longer treat your conditions, then the license to cultivate your own medicine can't be taken away without breaking international law. as you can always get a second opinion about your medical requirements, so long as you dont break any of the laws regarding cannabis you'll be a-ok.

 

Grace, none of those links work

 

 

I think there would have to be forms filled out detailing your personal information, medical conditions, treating doctor's info, etc. but apart from that all a perscon should need in order to get a license to cultivate medicinal cannabis is a perscription from their doctor for cannabis....im pretty sure there might be some unfair things suggested in parliament if this policy even makes it that far such as preventing people with drug convictions from obtaining a license to cultivate medicinal cannabis, but unless the government wishes to supply them the same quality herb for the same price at which they could grow it at home im pretty sure it would be a violation of their human rights

 

bufo i want cannabis pretty much treated like those overly perscribed medications with the exception we be allowed to cultivate it at home. i think if we were allowed to make those other drugs at home there would be stricter controls implimented than what im recommending for cannabis, but hey i could be wrong....

 

OK so in short people dont like the idea of having their grow rooms invaded by someone who wishes to count your plants, weigh your stash and then leave you alone...thats completely understandable, but for the sake of nit picking is there any other faults with my policy with the exception of my dodgy spelling ability?

 

Hi WDC

 

What your doing is great ...

 

Just my two bobs worth again.

 

My understanding of the 1961 Convention on Narcotics is that a licencing regime is for commercial purposes only and control boards etc need to be established to monitor commercial growers.

 

See for example the Poppy Advisory and Control Board, Tasmania, an agency of Department of Justice.

 

http://www.justice.tas.gov.au/poppy

 

I think state governments have established hemp boards for the hemp industry.

 

A permit or approval would be sufficient for people who have been prescribed cannabis by their GP but want the choice of growing their own. The permit can set out plant limits etc. with monitoring provisions but not too intrusive.

 

For people who don't want to or who can't grow their own a prescription could be provided to purchase it from a commerical supplier/dispensary/community cooperative etc setting out quanitity, strength etc at subsidised prices.

 

There needs to be provisions in the health laws to accommodate both people who want to grown their own and for those who need to purchase it from a commerical supplier.

 

I will check those links for you ... just a few minor amendments and home growers could be exempt from the criminal laws.

 

We also need quality control and consumer protection if purchased from commercial growers. See the Trade Practices Act.

 

And we need licenced cafes too.

 

As for recreational users I think they should be able to get permits too ... why should you need to have a medical condition when it's a choice over legal alcohol for many people.

 

BTW Australia recently ratified the convention on human rights and disabilities ... all medical users whether they have a physcial or mental condition now have rights.

 

Civil rights! Political rights, Economic, social and cultural rights!

 

http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/...ntionfull.shtml

 

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/www/mini...itiesConvention

[WantDaChronic]

thanks for the imput grace, its highly appriciated

 

unfortunately though i think you're wrong about the licenses only being needed for commercial purposes. point 2b for the national opium agencies states that only licensed cultivators will be allowed to engage in such cultivation. I think i read in there somewhere that state run places are excempt from needing a license but still must report everything to the national agency

 

And we need licenced cafes too.

 

As for recreational users I think they should be able to get permits too ... why should you need to have a medical condition when it's a choice over legal alcohol for many people.

 

the public consumption of cannabis will never be allowed. well it might, but if it does it will fall into the category of tobacco in that respect and since smoking cigarettes has all but been banned while out in public, i dont see cannabis consumption being allowed

 

Im all for recreational people getting licenses too. the only differences i would impose is that they dont need to see a doctor and instead of $5 plant insurance they'd have to pay $20-50 per plant and wouldnt be covered by insurance unless they sought it out from a private company. But this policy is about keeping the medicinal and recreational use/cultivation of cannabis totally seperate from each other in order to prevent the argument for legalization via medicinal cannabis. That is a major hurdle that always gets tripped over when someone pushes for medicinal marijuana which is why the second point i made in the overview was to declare them totally different issues...

[Frazz]

Possesion; 1) Doctors will determine wether cannabis can be useful to their patients and then will perscribe the amount ...

 

Drs. are already treated like gods dont give them even more authority, Drs. cannot fully appreciate the benefits a patient gains

in the home setting with the use of cannabis, surely the patient must be the final arbittor of whether the cannabis helps the patient

combat the symptoms of their complaint, whatever it may be ...

not leaving the Dr. out the patient needs to be honest, open and frank with their Dr. by consulting regularly with his or her Dr.about their use of cannabis.

 

Harm Reduction:

 

Vaporisers such as Volcano should be completely tax free to licensed patients, really their intial purchase by med patients should be subsidized

by the government, cause smoking anything is just a no-no these days and considering you want it for medical use you will get heaps of shit about

condoning the smoking in any form

 

Just a couple of suggestions for ya WDC, good work

 

[grace]

personally i too hate the idea of allowing some random prick in my house to count my plants, weigh my stash, etc. but i

 

Grace, none of those links work

 

Sorry about that WDC

My fault

Try these

I also edited that previous post

 

Queensland

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

Western Australia

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

ACT

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

Tasmania

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

South Australia

 

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp...ery=^dronabinol

 

THC is legal in Australia, and available on prescription

Minor amendments to health laws would exempt medical users from criminal laws.

 

Note: Dronabinol is a pill form of THC made in USA however in Holland hemp flower is classified as Dronabinol.

Both need to be imported under the SAS.

However the Trade Practices Act and common law precedent may prohibit health departments from restricting/denying access to other forms of THC including natural form and locally grown. It's currently being challenged.

 

grace

[grace]

Possesion; 1) Doctors will determine wether cannabis can be useful to their patients and then will perscribe the amount ...

 

Drs. are already treated like gods dont give them even more authority, Drs. cannot fully appreciate the benefits a patient gains

in the home setting with the use of cannabis, surely the patient must be the final arbittor of whether the cannabis helps the patient

combat the symptoms of their complaint, whatever it may be ...

not leaving the Dr. out the patient needs to be honest, open and frank with their Dr. by consulting regularly with his or her Dr.about their use of cannabis.

 

I agree Frazzle

 

A good doctor/patient relationship is needed.

 

Dosage needs to be prn and patients need approval/permits which enable them to cultivate or purchase an adequate supply to ensure they don't run out.

 

Seen it happen so many times with prescription medicines .... guys are put on too high/too low a dose or left hanging out over the weekend or waiting days for a doctors appointment. That's not good enough.

 

grace