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.

[salpon]

The report was unanimously supported by the cross-party parliamentarians on the committee. The NSW government now has until September to respond to the recommendations in the report. 

I highly urge everyone to read it in full, or at least the executive summary. 

[Skunkxxx]

they wont do anything until the feds say it will be ok.

[grasshair]

what came of the inquiry? 

[Naycha]

what came of the inquiry? 

 

The Government have until November 15 to respond.

 

Naycha

[brick]

But they only want you to use what the pharma co's produce. And IMO thats fucked. We are dealing with narrow minded people who fear for their jobs if they cannot get the easy busts. To make them look like super hero's and justify their existance. Why can't we have both forms of medication? Plant and sprays.

[grasshair]

we can only hope thanks for that piece of info I will keep my ears to the ground. Even though it may be a small breakthrough every step leads to your destination. I am hoping with all the change in the USA eventual economic pressure will force them into change.

[Organic Panic]

It shocks me that USA are so far ahead of us in this department. Hopefully other countries will follow their example and soon enough.... surely.... it will one day be legal everywhere.

 

 

One can only hope

[grasshair]

it shocks me also that of all the countries in the world the USA is ahead of us in drug reform. Hopefully with other western countries beginning to legalize it they will have no choice just look at R rated games, we were one of the last countries to bring in legislation to change gaming. I won't hold my breath though with a conservative government in power.

[hashwizard]

What really pisses me off about the reaction to the committees recommendations, is the amount of quotes from those giving ignorant opinions & or with anti-mj agendas rather than from those involved with mmj & conclusions grounded in experience & evidence.

 

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the head of the drug squad is against mmj use. Off-course he's anti pot, he's a cop! No more easy busts, imagine what it would do to their bust records? It will increase recreational use in the general population, he says. That would be terrible, people replacing alcohol for marijuana. There would be less street violence, domestic disputes etc., there'd be bugger all overtime for police. No mention of resources being freed up to concentrate on dangerous drugs like amphetamines.

 

One news report asks an MS sufferer "from her leafy north shore home"  on her thoughts on mmj. It's beside the point that she's never used pot to test it's efficacy. Her fears demand a pill or a spray from a pharmaceutical company, prescribed by the family Dr. because we can trust the system. Well gee, that's helpful.

The reporter didn't bother to ask someone like me, whose life would be considerably worse without my mmj that 80% alleviates my previously untreatable chronic nerve pain, my thoughts on the subject. 

 

Then the self appointed moral authority, the Church, has to throw in their two bobs worth. Off-course they're against marijuana, they're completely disconnected with nature, believe in fairy-tales & consider anything outside their sphere of understanding 'evil'. [i was raised in a "House of the Lord", I know.]

 

One would have thought that the medical view was at least asked from the professional with the most mmj experience, but no, a mouthpiece for the Big Pharma controlled medical industry with an obvious agenda, represents the medical professions opinion.

 

I wasn't impressed with the committees recommendation of 15gs per patient. How can one plant be kept under 15gs? Who'd want to? What am I supposed to use while my plants growing? If/or when these recommendations are introduced, the only way that I can imagine being able to strictly keep my medical supply under 15gs is to buy my pot from the black market.  I'm restricted to growing in the cooler months, so I grow enough to last me the year. I know how my pot is grown, I know it's clean. I started growing again because a lot of the street bud made me slightly anxious & nervous. God-knows-what some commercial growers spray on their plants.

 

I resent having to break the law to receive relief from my nerve pain [it is like being stabbed with an electrified hypodermic needle, at it's worse.It hurts like fuck]  with a safe natural herb. I resent not receiving any empathy from my pain specialists at finding relief [i told them, 'I tried your shit, didn't work, only made me sick'.] I resent how I feel when there's a loud unexpected knock at my door. I resent having to hide my growing efforts from most friends.

 

I wont be happy until I can legally grow my medicine, & share my excess with other patients. I wont be really happy until the general adult population can consume mj legally.

['mo]

Government response - Use of cannabis

 

Government response - Use of cannabis.pdf