Pollie Bothering

[Dragonfan]

Wasn't sure where to post this, I know I've mentioned what I was intending to do here somewhere in the dim dark past . . . but anyway . . . I've been busy [and still am] Pollie Bothering . . . I've started at the top [KRudd] and am working my way down through as many Pollies email contacts I can find with the following 10,000 character limited spiel [you can only send 10,000 characters in an email to the PM . . . ]

 

Subject: Medical Marijuana

Comment:

Firstly, about me - I am a middle-aged mother of three well adjusted, healthy, happy young Australians, two of whom employed and voters! I'm about as 'normal' as you get, except for my debilitating diseases. I worked full-time all my adult life [some in the health industry including Methadone Clinics] until my health and lack of treatment stopped me from doing so four years ago. I rent a house to keep a roof over my youngest child's head after an acrimonious divorce three years ago [and the loss of my home], so I'm not a poster girl for illicit drug use by any stretch of the imagination.

I said to a friend that I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired and of being unable to find relief from constant, increasing levels of pain due to a degenerative spinal condition, muscle spasms, nausea and depression. I am unable to sleep or eat properly, unable to live a 'normal' life. What I live is a mere existence, one painful day after another. The medical/pharmaceutical industries have failed me dismally, so for years now I've suffered in silence. But, no more! I know there is an efficacious herbal treatment, a medicine that has been proven by thousands of years of use. But [there's always a ‘but’], it’s illegal in this country! So for me to have any hope of a return to some form of 'healthiness', to a somewhat 'normal' life, I have to break the law?

This is what this email to your good self is about. Why do I and thousands more like me have to suffer? I desperately wish you could walk in my shoes and see what the insanity of an outdated and cruel legal system, 'gung ho' law enforcement and sheer apathy of the 'powers that be' is doing to those of us who have no recourse to any form of relief from debilitating pain.

I’ve been motivated at this time after much research to write to you regarding Cannabis as a medicine particularly after reading an Amendment Bill presented to the South Australian Legislative Council in November 2008[1] by the Hon. Sandra Kanck, who said ... ''It's time for us to consider the use of medical marijuana as part of being a humane and compassionate society ... In a civilised society, debate on drugs should not be about criminality or belief systems but about health.''

I shall quote mostly from the abovementioned Bill as it raised most of the points I would like to make to you and was done so in a most reasoned, well researched and non histrionic way. So, here for your edification are the main points to why not only the laws regarding Cannabis in this country must be changed but also the mind-set of the Australian Government.

1. The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961[2] to which Australia is a signatory stated that the medical use of narcotic drugs continues to be indispensable for the relief of pain and suffering and that adequate provision must be made to ensure the availability of narcotic drugs for such purposes. Thus the signatories to this Convention have an obligation to ensure availability of narcotic drugs for the relief of pain and suffering!

2. Cannabis is listed in Schedule 1 of this Convention, so to Morphine and Pethidine, commonly used in hospitals, not denied to pain sufferers because they are in that Schedule, so why is Cannabis? Why is Cannabis even in the Schedule? In 1925 an Egyptian delegation to the UN, without any form of brief, claimed Cannabis was as dangerous as Opium and should be subject to the same controls. So, an uncorroborated statement was made, no-one questioned it and it was adopted!

3. The Convention places the same restrictions on Cannabis cultivation as it does on Opium. Articles 23 and 28 require establishment of a government agency to control cultivation, stating: Cultivators must deliver their crop to the agency which must purchase and take physical possession of it ... the agency then has the exclusive right of importing, exporting, wholesale trading and maintaining stock ... In Tasmania there are fields of Opium poppies, government grown for medicinal purposes, the government should grow Cannabis for medicinal purposes just like, for example, the Israeli Government.

4. The UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988[3] says nothing about personal use of Cannabis; it’s about international trafficking by organised crime. Article 25 says: The provisions of this Convention shall not derogate from any rights enjoyed or obligations undertaken by parties to this Convention under the 1961 Convention [as amended] and the 1971 Convention. Policies prohibiting drugs, based on the UN Conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988 are the true cause of increasing damage that production of, trafficking in, sale and use of illegal substances are inflicting on society, the economy and public institutions, eroding health, freedom and life of individuals. The Convention/s were enacted to protect the individual not persecute them!

5. In June 1998 a special session of the UN adopted the slogan 'A drug free world - we can do it!' with the target to be reached after a 10-year war on drugs. That ‘war’ is an abject failure as not only has drug use increased, thousands of lives have been unjustly ruined. It failed because the mindset treats drug use as a moral, criminal issue, not the health issue it is. At that time, hundreds of MPs, doctors, lawyers, judges, journalists and academics from 40 countries signed a letter to the then Secretary-General of the UN expressing concern about where the war on drugs was leading. Fifty Australians signed this statement [including some former Australian State Premiers]. It seems that once people get away from sensational headlines and get hold of facts an increasing number question the effectiveness of the war on drugs. When laws don't work they should be looked at to see why it is so and then amended!

6. Organisations such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society, for example, are dependent [in part] upon government funding, with a government who has a 'tough on drugs' policy it makes it difficult for people in those organisations to speak out. However, many Multiple Sclerosis sufferers use Cannabis to alleviate their symptoms and evidence of Cannabis’ capacity to relieve symptoms of many illnesses is growing - and yes, evidence is sometimes anecdotal, it’s a Catch-22 situation, being difficult for researchers due to ethics committees disallowing work with illicit substances. Despite restrictions, some scientific and open-minded institutions are questioning and new research is coming to light almost every day!

7. US Patent No.6630507[4], issued 7 Oct 2003 [applied for in Feb 2001] refers to Cannabis with the abstract stating: Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties ... makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment ... of a wide variety of oxidation associated diseases ... ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune ... The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma ... in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids ... are particularly advantageous to use . . . The assignee is the USA, represented by the Department of Health and Human Services. So, the US Government knows the medical value of this but has sat on it for over five years!

In her speech, Sandra drew attention to the Australian ... National Drug Strategy Household Survey and two questions, one assessing how householders in Australia felt about a change in legislation to permit Cannabis as medicine. In 2004 support was 67.5%, rising to 68.6% in 2007, and if householders would support clinical trials for Cannabis to treat medical conditions, in 2004 support was 73.5% rising to 73.6% in 2007. So, there is support in the Australian community!

By following a 'tough on drugs' stance Australian Governments have handed supply of Cannabis to organised crime, increasing their profitability - the exact opposite of what a wise drug policy would do. The opposite of 'tough on drugs' is not 'soft on drugs' but 'sensible on drugs' which is critical to removing the criminal element from the efficacious use of Cannabis.

The science is there and international conventions say that governments must make such drugs available as medicine. The US Government knows how good the palliative use of Cannabis is and has patented it. The public is behind the use of medical Cannabis, all that is needed now is some courage from politicians. Are you one such courageous politician?

Legalisation of Cannabis as a medicine would be a compassionate measure. Why should the Australian Government and law makers deny people who’ve exhausted pharmaceutical measures what may be the only treatment that may work for them? Not only is this inhumane, but who feels they have the right to do this to innocent people?

Who of you has the courage to stand up for the basic human right to access a proven and what should be legally available medicine for those who put you 'in power'? Who of you has the empathy, and not the traditional apathy, that we sufferers of unrelenting and untreatable [legally] pain need to help us?

I for one, who finds it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, cannot sleep for pain and cannot eat 'normally' because it makes me nauseous would love to know! 'Pharmachemicals' have failed me totally, and have actually made several of my conditions worse yet, a plant given by nature is being denied to me, denied to me by the very people my vote put in 'power', so, in effect, YOU are making ME suffer!

Thank you, most sincerely,

Anne Marie

1 http://sa.democrats.org.au/html/modules.ph...le&sid=1626

2 http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/legal/singconv.htm

3 http://www.druglibrary.org/SCHAFFER/legal/un1988nr.htm

4 http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6630507/fulltext.html

 

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If you want to join me, the following is the list of email contacts starting with the PM and followed by all the fine upstanding Senators we have federally . . . I'm still wading through the House of Reps but will post those when I'm done too!

 

 

http://www.pm.gov.au/contact/

The Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP, Prime Minister of Australia

 

The Senate

 

senator.hogg@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon. John Hogg, President of the Senate

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=N26

Senator the Hon Eric Abetz - Senator for Tasmania

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate

 

senator.adams@aph.gov.au

Senator Judith Adams

Senator for Western Australia

Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=HES

Senator Mark Arbib

Senator for New South Wales

 

senator.barnett@aph.gov

Senator Guy Barnett

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=G0D

Senator Corey Bernadi

Senator For South Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=HZB

Senator Catryna Bilyk

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=H6X

Senator Simon Birmingham

Senator for South Australia

 

senator.bishop@aph.gov.au

Senator Mark Bishop

Senator for Western Australia

 

senator.boswell@aph.gov.au

Senator The Hon Ronald Boswell

Senator for Queensland

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=H6V

Senator Sue Boyce

Senator for Queensland

 

senator.brandis@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon George Brandis

Senator for Queensland

 

senator.bob.brown@aph.gov.au

Senator Bob Brown

Senator for Tasmania

 

senator.carol.brown@aph.gov.au

Senator Carol Brown

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=HLL

Senator David Bushby

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=AI6

Senator Doug Cameron

Senator for New South Wales

 

senator.carr@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Kim Carr

Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0M

Senator Michaelia Cash

Senator for Western Australia

 

senator.colbeck@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=GB6

Senator Jacinta Collins

Senator for Victoria

 

senator.conroy@aph.gov.au

Senator for Victoria

[Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate]

 

senator.coonan@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Helen Coonan

Senator for New South Wales

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=HDA

Senator Mathias Cormann

Senator for Western Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=7Y6

Senator Trish Crossin

Senator for Northern Territory

 

senator.eggleston@aph.gov.au

Senator Alan Eggleston

Senator for Western Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=AX5

Senator the Hon Christopher Evans

Senator for Western Australia

[Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

Leader of the Government in the Senate]

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0N

Senator Don Farrell

Senator for South Australia

 

senator.faulkner@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon John Faulkner

Senator for New South Wales

[special Minister of State

Cabinet Secretary

Vice-President of the Executive Council]

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0O

Senator David Feeney

Senator for Victoria

 

senator.ferguson@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Alan Ferguson

Senator for South Australia

[Deputy President

Chair of Committees]

 

senator.fielding@aph.gov.au

Senator Steve Fielding

Senator for Victoria

 

senator.fierravanti-wells@aph.gov.au

Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells

Senator for New South Wales

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=D2I

Senator Mitch Fifield

Senator for Victoria

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=HBE

Senator Mary Jo Fisher

Senator for South Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=656

Senator Michael Forshaw

Senator for New South Wales

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0P

Senator Mark Furner

Senator for Queensland

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0U

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young

Senator for South Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=C16

Senator the Hon Bill Heffernan

Senator for New South Wales

 

senator.humphries@aph.gov.au

Senator Gary Humphries

Senator for Australian Capital Territory

 

senator.hurley@aph.gov.au

Senator Annette Hurley

Senator for South Australia

 

senator.hutchins@aph.gov.au

Senator Steve Hutchins

Senator for New South Wales

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...ct.asp?id=00AON

Senator the Hon David Johnston

Senator for Western Australia

 

senator.joyce@aph.gov.au

Senator Barnaby Joyce

Senator for Queensland

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=G1N

Senator Helen Kroger

Senator for Victoria

 

senator.ludlam@aph.gov.au

Senator Scott Ludlam

Senator for Western Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=84N

Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig

Senator for Queensland

[Minister for Human Services

Manager of Government Business in the Senate]

 

senator.lundy@aph.gov.au

Senator Kate Lundy

Senator for Australian Capital Territory

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=YW4

Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald

Senator for Queensland

 

senator.mcewen@aph.gov.au

Senator Anne McEwen

Senator for South Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=WH4

Senator Julian McGauran

Senator for Victoria

 

senator.mclucas@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Jan McLucas

Senator for Queensland

 

senator.marshall@aph.gov.au

Senator Gavin Marshall

Senator for Victoria

 

senator.mason@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Brett Mason

Senator for Queensland

 

senator.milne@aph.gov.au

Senator Christine Milne

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=JX4

Senator the Hon Nick Minchin

Senator for South Australia

[Leader of the Opposition in the Senate]

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...ct.asp?id=00AOQ

Senator Claire Moore

Senator for Queensland

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=e5g

Senator Fiona Nash

Senator for New South Wales

[Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate]

 

senator.obrien@aph.gov.au

Senator Kerry O’Brien

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=e5v

Senator Stephen Parry

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=M56

Senator Marise Payne

Senator for New South Wales

 

senator.polley@aph.gov.au

Senator Helen Polley

Senator for Tasmania

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0T

Senator Louise Pratt

Senator for Western Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=xt4

Senator the Hon Michael Ronaldson

Senator for Victoria

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0Q

Senator Scott Ryan

Senator for Victoria

 

senator.scullion@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Nigel Scullion

Senator for Northern Territory

 

senator.sherry@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Nick Sherry

Senator for Tasmania

 

senator.siewert@aph.gov.au

Senator Rachel Siewert

Senator for Western Australia

 

senator.stephens@aph.gov.au

Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens

Senator for New South Wales

 

senator.sterle@aph.gov.au

Senator Glenn Sterle

Senator for Western Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=GX5

Senator the Hon Judith Troeth

Senator for Victoria

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=e6a

Senator Russell Trood

Senator for Queensland

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=I0V

Senator John Williams

Senator for New South Wales

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...ct.asp?id=00AOU

Senator the Hon Penny Wong

Senator for South Australia

[Minister for Climate Change and Water]

 

senator.wortley@aph.gov.au

Senator Dana Wortley

Senator for South Australia

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/home...tact.asp?id=8IV

Senator Nick Xenophon

Senator for South Australia

[Wayne Smith]

I hope you get plenty of replies. I tried contacting one nation about it a few years back. Got a reply from one of the Davids. The ex-police one. Typical career politician response. By law I think they have to answer the first letter from any constituent.

 

I can't understand why they are overlooking hemp as a biofuel. Petrol is on the rise again but they'd rather see the country come to a grinding halt than consider using a hempseed oil. Its hardly a radical concept.

 

http://www.hempcar.org

[mull]

Good work Dragon

[freddie]

Thanks for sharing that. Well done.

 

I seem to remember our PM promising evidence based policy leading up to the last election.

[Dragonfan]

Still working my way through the House of Rep's . . . but, I got a written reply from one Senator!

 

Nothing to get overly excited about though, Senator Ian Macdonald [Townsville, Queensland] sent me a very short letter, wording as follows . . .

Thank you for your email . . . regarding the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

 

I am sorry that you are suffering much pain in relation to your debilitating diseases.

 

I have written on your behalf to the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Nicola Roxon MP and enclose a copy for your information.

 

Thank you again for writing to me on this matter.

The letter he wrote to the Minister was worded as follows . . .

I have recently received an email from a Queensland constituent . . . regarding the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

 

I enclose a copy for your information and consideration and look forward to receiving your advices on this matter.

I recall the Hon Nicola Roxon replying to a fellow Oz Stoner regarding her pain and basically telling her she'd just have to live with it!

 

Will be MOST interested to see if the Minister comes up with the same 'advices' for me . . . I realise that Senator Macdonald was just doing his 'job' by replying, but, at least ONE pollie [out of the over 50 I've so far emailed] has bothered . . . he even actually signed the letter/s himself, it wasn't a scanned electronic signature!

 

I shall continue on my merry way, Pollie bothering . . . and, if they think that they'll only hear from me once and can ignore me, they have another thing coming! I'm going to keep emailing them . . .

[entheofarm]

Dragonfan, I sent a copy of that to the The National Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee (NDPSC) in response to their response, hope you dont mind.

 

The initial response I responded to with your email as follows.

 

Regarding cannabis and cannabis products

 

The National Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee (NDPSC) is responsible for the scheduling of drugs and poisons, at the Commonwealth Government level. The NDPSC is a statutory committee established under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and is responsible for determining the classification or scheduling of medicines, as well as agricultural, veterinary and domestic chemicals in Australia.

 

The NDPSC’s authority is described in the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. However, while the work of the NDPSC is conducted under that Act, the NDPSC Secretariat is part of the Department of Health and Ageing. The NDPSC is not part of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), nor is the TGA responsible for the scheduling of drugs and poisons.

 

The circumstances under which individual medicines are made accessible to consumers are determined through the NDPSC’s classification process, known as scheduling. The Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP) sets out this schedule and is available on the NDPSC website at http://www.tga.gov.au/ndpsc/index.htm. These recommendations are given legal effect through State and Territory legislation. The methods by which the NDPSC’s scheduling decisions are implemented may vary between jurisdictions, as each State and Territory determines its own legislation.

 

The SUSDP refers to cannabis in Schedule 9 (prohibited substances), except when separately mentioned in other Schedules, or if it is hemp fibre containing 0.01 per cent or less of tetrahydrocannabinol and products manufactured from such fibre. Therefore hemp that is produced for its fibre contains less than 0.01per cent (tetrahydrocannabinol) and is specifically described to exempt it from Schedule 9. Not all cannabis-derived substances are S9 however; dronabinol (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) is S8, controlled drugs.

 

The UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances 197, states that signatories (Australia) will limit, by the measures each considers appropriate; the manufacture, export, import and distribution, use and possession of substances, to medical and scientific purposes. The NDPSC has recommended appropriate controls for these activities, and legislation in each jurisdiction mirrors these controls.

 

Regarding the Special Access Scheme (SAS), administered through the TGA, may I direct you to the TGA website and the TGA publication on bringing medicines into Australia which can be found at the following link: http://www.tga.gov.au/impexp/personal.htm.

Similarly your query regarding the prescription of Sativix in your particular state may best be referred to that particular jurisdiction.

I trust this information is of assistance to you.

 

NDPSC Secretariat

02 616032200

[mistyville]

You are doing a great job Dragonfly. Do keep us up to date with your progress. You sound very intelligent and educated. We stoners need people like you to keep up the fight. Lee Rhiannon is sympathetic to our cause. She is a Tasmanian senator, I think

[entheofarm]

shit, they responded pretty quick Dragonfan.

 

Thank you for your further email.

 

You state that the previous response contains factual errors regarding

international treaties. The response stated that "The UN Convention on

Psychotropic Substances 1971 states that signatories (Australia) will

limit, by the measures each considers appropriate; the manufacture, export,

import and distribution, use and possession of substances, to medical and

scientific purposes. The NDPSC has recommended appropriate controls for

these activities, and legislation in each jurisdiction mirrors these

controls. " If you could please clarify which part of this statement you

believe is incorrect, we will endeavour to address your concerns.

 

For your information, the NDPSC guidelines allow submissions from any

parties interested in the scheduling of a substance. In this context,

"interested parties" include Commonwealth, State and Territory government

departments or agencies, industry, healthcare professionals and consumers.

Should you wish to make a submission to the NDPSC, a template has been

developed and is available at

http://www.tga.gov.au/ndpsc/schedule-template.htm .

 

Regards,

 

NDPSC Secretariat

02 6160 3200

[Dragonfan]

Mmmm, so the NDPSC is asking you to clarify,

If you could please clarify which part of this statement you believe is incorrect, we will endeavour to address your concerns

. . . when it is quite clearly stated that the Convention on Psychotropic Substances is aimed at international trafficking by organised crime . . . what part of that do they NOT understand?

4. The UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988 says nothing about personal use of Cannabis; it’s about international trafficking by organised crime. Article 25 says: The provisions of this Convention shall not derogate from any rights enjoyed or obligations undertaken by parties to this Convention under the 1961 Convention [as amended] and the 1971 Convention. Policies prohibiting drugs, based on the UN Conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988 are the true cause of increasing damage that production of, trafficking in, sale and use of illegal substances are inflicting on society, the economy and public institutions, eroding health, freedom and life of individuals. The Convention/s were enacted to protect the individual not persecute them!

And they further stated . . .

The circumstances under which individual medicines are made accessible to consumers are determined through the NDPSC’s classification process, known as scheduling. The Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP) sets out this schedule and is available on the NDPSC website at http://www.tga.gov.au/ndpsc/index.htm. These recommendations are given legal effect through State and Territory legislation. The methods by which the NDPSC’s scheduling decisions are implemented may vary between jurisdictions, as each State and Territory determines its own legislation.

. . . well I know all about the application that can be made etc for 'scheduled' drugs to be used as medicines on a case by case basis, but they've missed the point entirely, that particular Convention is aimed at traffickers and organised crime, not individuals who are sick and suffering . . . so their legislation is in contravention of the Convention which states, and they quoted this . . .

"The UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971 states that signatories (Australia) will limit, by the measures each considers appropriate; the manufacture, export, import and distribution, use and possession of substances, to medical and scientific purposes.

The NDPSC's 'appropriate controls' are not in line with this International Convention, they are inappropriate because the Convention dictates that scheduled substances MUST be allowed for medical and scientific use, that the signatories to the Convention are RESPONSIBLE for allowing the provision of the scheduled drugs for medical and scientific use, and they are not, unless you want to jump through a gazillion bureaucratic hoops [which will get you nowhere because the government of the day will not allow use of an 'ilicit' drug, even if it can save lives, allay suffering, etc etc] and/or become a bloody criminal!!

[entheofarm]

are they two seperate conventions?

 

The UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971

 

The UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988