NSW parliamentary inquiry into medical cannabis - due Feb 15

[mjbarratt]

I thought contributors to this part of OZStoners would be very interested in this inquiry. Here is a quote from NSW parliament media release:

 

On 22 November 2012, the NSW Legislative Council referred an Inquiry into the medical use of cannabis to General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4. The Committee, chaired by the Hon Sarah Mitchell MLC of The Nationals, includes representatives of the Australian Labor Party, the Greens and the Liberal Party.

 

The motion to refer the Inquiry to General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4 was put forward by Labor member the Hon Luke Foley MLC, and was agreed to without opposition from Council members.

 

The Committee Chair, Mrs Mitchell said, 'The Committee will be examining the safety and efficacy of cannabis for medical purposes as well as considering if and how cannabis should be supplied for medical use. In addition, the Inquiry will investigate the legal implications of cannabis use for medical purposes, as well as any other related issues.'

 

'There is a diverse collection of views held on this issue by the community, and the Committee wishes to hear from the widest possible range of stakeholders.'

 

Submissions are now being called for by the Committee from interested organisations and individuals. The closing date for submissions in Friday 15 February 2013.

 

The Committee will to hold two Sydney hearings, in March 2013. Detailed information about the dates and times of these hearings will be advertised on the Committee website following the closing date for submissions. The Committee is scheduled to report to the House by 14 May 2013.

 

For further information about the Inquiry, including its terms of reference, and for more on how to make a submission, please visit the Committee's website at: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/gpsc4, or call the Committee Secretariat on (02) 9230 3081

 

Click here to lodge your submission - before 15 Feb 2013!

 

And if you haven't already, you can also complete our anonymous study of Australian cannabis growers. We will be using this information to make an official submission to the inquiry so this is another way you can have your voice heard.

[Ford Fairlane]

IMO enviromentalists aren't greenies. They are the people who have been on the land most of their lives and understand mother nature and how she works and they work with her. Greenies are people with an agenda (whatever the agendas are) and stop at nothing to get their point across without listening to reason from people, who actually know more than they do, it is easy to sit in a tree to stop it being cut down, until at great expense to the tax payer they are removed, and the tree gets cut down any way.

Why can't they sit with people who know the score and listen and try to get a compromise happening. Bloody mindedness just makes people angry and achieves nothing. Does not win the public over either. They did good when they first started with BB but got to carried away with their "victories" and again, imo are only nuisance value now.

I don't think you can put all those fish in the same barrel Brick. I'm sure some have an agenda, but I think most tree sitters and hard core activists are there because they are trying to save something they care deeply about and see no other options. They are the extreme left, as are people like ghandi and mother theresa, to some extent. These people bring attention to issues that the rest of society wouldn't hear about otherwise, by putting there own lives on the line. Similarly, the extreme right, including people like George bush, Adolf Hitler and Tony Abbott, bring other things to the attention of society, such as, the importance of a culturally identical nation and the idea that it is important for many to suffer so the few can benefit.

it is important to have these two extremes, because they push the boundaries of what is acceptable to society, as a result we move on together, because most of us sit somewhere I the middle and can compromise as to where exactly we should sit, in the greater scheme of things.

I have a lot of respect for you Brick and I in no way want to insult you in any way, I've just been stewing on this though.

peace

Ff

 

*typing on my phone, sorry for any grammatical errors,

Edited November 25, 2013 by Ford Fairlane

[mjbarratt]

Academics publish article in the Medical Journal of Australia calling for medical cannabis provision:

 

The medicinal use of cannabis (Box) was prohibited in Australia some 50 years ago, at a time when scientific knowledge about it was meagre. It is now clear that cannabis has genuine medicinal utility, but this has been largely overlooked, with research and society’s attention, in most parts of the world, being directed towards the hazards of its recreational use rather than the benefits of its medicinal use.1,2 We maintain that consideration of policy for medicinal cannabis should be kept separate from consideration of recreational cannabis.

In May 2013, a New South Wales parliamentary committee comprising members of five political parties unanimously recommended making medicinal cannabis available for selected conditions. Its report (the NSW Report) stated:

in general terms medical cannabis has potential as an effective treatment for some medical conditions with appropriate safeguards in place [and] cannabis products are emerging as a promising area of medicine ...3

We agree, and add that national acceptance of medicinal cannabis should be implemented based exclusively on evidence of its clinical efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness, and that necessary legal reforms permitting medical prescription should be enacted, as has been done in many countries.

 

...

 

Full Article: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/11/reintroducing-medicinal-cannabis

[salpon]

Thanks Monica, great article. 

The authors conclude: "It is time to implement the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia."

[Faith]

Cheers Monica :good;

 

....remind me of the kids getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  It'll be awhile until they work out a way to implement it w/o losing complete credibility re the medical, political, judicial and pharmaceutical sectors- nothing worse than finding out you've been defending a lie and causing untold pain and suffering to the ones they were installed to protect and guide.  Shine the light on them Monica-they hate it cos it reveals who they really are, and what is really important to them. 

Peace and thanks again. F

Edited December 12, 2013 by Faith

[louise]

Thanks Monica... my GP will be getting a copy of this from me

[Pukka Budz]

When in any country has it required. the majority to change a law.

Especially as the majority do not vote in any election.

[Jason_ames]

what came of the inquiry? 

 

 

My reading of it is that snake Fred Nile managed to torpedo the whole thing, saying that cannabis users were pushing a leftist or pro-gay agenda.    

 

"Moreover, many of the groups that appeared before the committee clearly share a common leftist or overtly pro-homosexual social agenda. Those groups include ACON, Positive Life NSW, Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations and the National Association of People with HIV Australia, Hepatitis NSW, and the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties. That is relevant because the committee has effectively found in favour of giving smoked cannabis to AIDS patients, most of whom would be homosexual."

 

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LC20130910043

 

It's a pity this opportunity was lost.   He could have been easily countered with a decent letter campaign or protest march.

[Midget]

such a shame that religion holds so much wieght in OZ politics and radical beliefs....

 

 

The only reason I hope God exists is to see Fred Nile in hell

[Faith]

Religion is man-made....of the world.  Their god is $$'s.  The god of the world is the evil one, not of flesh and blood but the powers  and principalities, yes the sparks that fire the mind.  The master we choose is shown in our acts/deeds.   The God of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with prohibition of His wonderful Creation.  

 

Peace in you

faith

Edited May 11, 2014 by Faith