Have you got plans for the day medical cannabis gets approved in austr

[herby]

Just thought i would see if anyone else is in the same kind boat as me. I dont think ive ever posted here explaining what brought me into the world of growing cannabis. Long story short i have close family members who for years have been using it for medicinal purpose, some who have been caught buying and in possession of it and have done jail time for it too, These are genuinely sick people, some of which are terminally ill, These are the people who brought me into the world of growing and i do give most of my grow away for free.

Ive only been growing since about mid this year and i feel its not only helped me and my family but its also turned into a great hobby which i would love to do on a much bigger scale, However the feeling of knowing you could potentially end up in prison at any moment is rather stressful.

 

Anyway! I have noticed that this year alot of good things have gone into motion in terms of medical cannabis being approved for trials in some states and i hope it all goes well. If there comes a day when it gets fully approved i would love to start growing properly, with a shopfront and with real patients, I know ALOT of you probably have the same idea, i even have a business name already registered and a business plan of sorts which a few friends have helped me write up, as i can see it being both a good way to help people with a genuine illness but also a great way to make a living.

Im wondering how the whole "dispensary" thing would work in Australia if it does get approved?

 

 

1. would we need some kind of qualifications that allow us to do it?
2. Does the owner of the shop have to have a medical license to issue the medicine ?
3. once approved, are we even going to be allowed to grow and issue it our selves or will the big medical companies take over?
4. do you think we will ever get to the same point as certain american states where the dispensaries are just like shops where you walk in buy it

 

I have seen the way the MASSIVE companies in America are producing it, running in extremely huge complexes and cramming thousands of plants in 1 room in what looks to be a typical SOG method, There are full hazmat style suits involved with the production and it all looks very clinical, To me this isnt the way it should be handled, it looks and feels disgusting.

Opinions?

 

[herby]

Hmm maybe things are not going as well as i thought for Australia and its cannabis laws!..

[Sir PsychoHashy]

It's a nice thought Herbie, but I'm basically in agreement with Ozzy.

 

Making plans is great, but you need to be careful about investing resources into setting up a business before knowing what the legislation and framework is going to be. 

 

Listening to the bullshit placating noises that governments have been making in reaction to a bit of a media frenzy, I get the feeling that they are just hoping the media will get bored of the issue and let it go, and it's starting to look like their wishes may be coming true.  And even if they do follow through with doing something, it sounds like it's going to be seriously narrow minded, and have little to do with effective outcomes for patients, the whole issue appears to be even more politically retarded in Australia than it has been in most of the rest of the western world for many years.

 

One thing's for sure, there's no way they are going to let us grow our own, as they will be protecting revenue streams, and anyone trying to start up a business around it is likely to be competing against large corporate entities who have been given plenty of unfair advantages by our governments, and I seriously wish the best of luck to anyone prepared to have a go at taking them on.

 

So my plans are basically, fuck em, I'm growing my own still.  I get what I want, grown and harvested how I want it.  Like I'd ever trust the government and big corporations to look after my best interests.

 

Best of luck with your endeavours Herbie, keep on doing the right thing

[Moshall]

I don't have any faith that Medicinal use will expand to cover non terminal illnesses anytime soon.  I'm hoping more so for decrim, which to me is a more likely goal, as it is the logical step in allowing the tiny fraction of legal medicinal users to get what they need and so the govt can take a hands off approach to those growers/suppliers without actually saying "nah, we condone this behaviour".

 

if it is anything like the ACT, a $100 fine for a couple of plants is cheaper than paying your weed tax every month or so. 

[Sylar420]

id like to grow but suck at it so meh saves me the fucking around to just buy, fully decriminalised would be nice and probably a more likely outcome but bare in mind the USA and UK both are now attracted to the $$$ it can bring in, once the fat cats get a taste of the profits to be made it will then become legal. The dot bong boom has already started, more and more US states are legalising including the capital, 2016 when the US goes to the federal elections will be an interesting time, i would expect most states to have cannabis reform on the ballot.

Just bare in mind there is one thing that will get laws changed quick smart and thats money and fuck tons of it, something cannabis can bring in to any state that has it legal, US, UK or AU. 

[herby]

Thought i would give this a bump seeing as its been over a year now and Victoria has started growing its own, and in 2017 patients with epilepsy can be treated with it ( i'm guessing in oil form? ) but its another decent step for legalization or decriminalization. I wonder if its crazy to think ( or hope ) that in 5-10 years you might be walking into dispensary and buying some weed of a shelf?

 

here is something i worked out today.

 

Colorado made over 1 billion dollars in TAXABLE revenue on weed sales in 2015.

Colorado has a population of about 5 million, around 10% of the adult population smoke weed.

 

 

Australia has around 23-24 million people, assuming we smoke the same amount as them they government could potentially be making 4 to 5 billion dollars every year ( as a country )

 

i know its comparing a STATE to a COUNTRY but it still makes sense.

Edited July 5, 2016 by herby

[The Stoned Jester]

Yeah that's got me confused  , usually politicians are quick to copy the US and love making money - it's a win win situation - you eliminate most forms of canna related crime and remove the criminal control so the police can focus on other matters, you create jobs and money and even infrastructure in some places to cope with demand, one would think they would be on that bandwagon already.

[brick]

It is old folks who love Fred Nile that the governments are partly scared of and big pharma companies that have held Australia back. We still live in a Reefer Madness world in Aus.

[Bazza]

I'm still doing the religious freedom thing. I've got my labels n stuff. It probably won't work in court but at least it will be on the record that in a court with a judge using god given authority based on the bible, they are happy for me to go home and suck a Dick but if I suck a bong I'm a criminal. Don't get me wrong, if two consenting adults want to be in a gay relationship I say go for it. It's just frustrating that canna users are still persecuted and vilified.

[..............................]

 

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/big-pharma-and-australia's-medical-weed/7622914

 

Will big pharma lock 'mum and dad growers' out of medical weed?

 

As Australia works to legalise medical cannabis, some hopeful producers are worried they’re going to be locked out of the industry by big pharma.

 

Adam Pile, who runs Canna Pharmaceuticals, was hoping to get involved in Australia’s medical cannabis industry but now there might not be room for him.

 

“Whilst it's open to everyone it's limited to a few. It's very much pegged at corporate entites,” he told Hack.

 

Canna Pharmaceuticals is only a small company and Adam says the limited demand expected by the Government, along with 12-month licence terms, will make it hard for anyone but the big pharmaceutical companies to afford the costs.

 

Adam said the industry will be dominated by state and federal and big corporate bodies for the next few years.

 

Uncertain demand for medical weed

 

On October 30 the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will reclassify cannabis from a prohibited substance to a controlled substance, opening the door for legal production.

 

Hopeful suppliers and manufacturers will then be able to apply for licences to produce product for state/ territory-run medical trials or any of the states who legalise, like Victoria will from early 2017.

 

Over the next two weeks the Office of Drug Control (ODC), the body set up to regulate this industry, is explaining the licence requirements to potential growers at meeting around the country.

 

Rohan Moxley, from the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Association of Australia, was at the ODC meeting in Brisbane on Monday and told Hack there were some disappointed faces in the crowd.

 

“Mum and dad growers, as much as they want to contribute, it may not be within everyone's reach to do so.

There’s no limits on the number of licences that will be issued and the Government doesn’t know how many patients will need this product. Current estimates sit between 20,000 to 100,000.

 

In the presentation to producers this week the ODC says two hectares of greenhouse grown cannabis would be enough to supply 20,000 patients, but Adam Pile says that’s barely anything.

 

“To say the entire Australian market is going to be serviced by two hectares is very small and basically means there’s not going to be an opportunity for multiple companies to be involved.

 

“It could be as low as one [producer], it’s not a huge area by commercial greenhouse facility scale. The reality is I think four to eight companies would cover it.”

 

Waiting for the weed crop

 

Lucy Haslam was one of the people who convinced the NSW and Federal Government to work towards legalising medical cannabis. She has plans to start up a medical cannabis farm in the name of her son, who passed away last year and had used it to manage the effects of his cancer treatment.

 

There’s no limits on the number of licences that will be issued and the Government doesn’t know how many patients will need this product. Current estimates sit between 20,000 to 100,000.

 

In the presentation to producers this week the ODC says two hectares of greenhouse grown cannabis would be enough to supply 20,000 patients, but Adam Pile says that’s barely anything.

 

“To say the entire Australian market is going to be serviced by two hectares is very small and basically means there’s not going to be an opportunity for multiple companies to be involved.

 

“It could be as low as one [producer], it’s not a huge area by commercial greenhouse facility scale. The reality is I think four to eight companies would cover it.”

 

Waiting for the weed crop

 

Lucy Haslam was one of the people who convinced the NSW and Federal Government to work towards legalising medical cannabis. She has plans to start up a medical cannabis farm in the name of her son, who passed away last year and had used it to manage the effects of his cancer treatment.

“I can understand why there’s quite a bit of regulation around [the medical cannabis industry], we’ve just got to work with what we’ve got,” she told Hack.

 

“We’ve done our research, we’ve done our due diligence, if we can raise enough capital I think we’re in with as good a chance as anyone else.”

 

While October 30 is when the ODC will start accepting application for production, Lucy says it’ll still be a little while before patients can get access.

 

“It is going to be a lengthy process, unfortunately for patients, so it’s a shame but we really need to keep pushing and fighting for patients to access it and not to be limited right from the get go and unfortunately that’s the way I think it’s going to go.”

 

Adam Pile is disappointed. He had high hopes for the industry.

 

“There’s a lot of good that could be done by the industry on many levels and I think by the way Government appears to be pushing it towards corporate entity we’re not going to see those benefits.

 

“It’s going to be like every other medicine and treatment, the cost is going to be maintained at a very high point, simply because of supply and demand.”

[herby]

My point of view it doesn't matter if the big companies take over most of weed business, as long as we have the chance to grow, farm or even just sell eventually without being put in prison or charged.

 

And in all honestly its nothing new. we all knew that would happen, its just like every other big new thing that comes out, like google, there are probably millions of shares in the company but 3 to 4 major corps own most of it, this doesn't mean the little guys at the bottom 1% are not benefiting from there share.

 

If you open a tiny hardware store directly next door to a massive bunnings warehouse, it doesn't mean everyone is going to go to bunnings, even if its cheaper.

 

What i am unhappy about isn't the fact that the big companies will take over, its that they will get a head start before any of us, that is unfair but of course just comes down to money, if i had 10 billion dollars and wanted to start up an institute of "cannabis cultivation and harvesting of Australia" , and i wanted to start it RIGHT NOW im pretty sure the government would let me if i waved that cash in there face and hired a bunch of doctors and scientists to back me up.

 

Of course this is assuming the government will even let anyone grow it without a medical grade lab or something.