latest on NSW medical cannabis trial

[Brash]

Latest communication from the Minister in response to my 20th May mailout (attached):

 

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7 July 2005

 

Dear Mr Brash,

 

Thank you for your letter to the NSW Government concerning the medical use of cannabis. I appreciate your ongoing interest in the issue.

 

As I have perviously indicated, the Government is continuing to carefully investigate the proposal for a medical Use Trial in this State.

 

I can advise you that late last year the Premier approached the Prime Minister with proposals for either importing or cultivating medicinal cannabis for a New South Wales Trial.

 

As a result we have commenced discussions with the Commonwealth Government on how to progress the Trial.

 

in the circumstances, I have taken the opportunity to provide a copy of your letter to the Commonwealth Minister for Health & Ageing, the Hon Tony Abbott, MP for his information.

 

Let me reassure you that the NSW Government is continuing to carefully explore available options for implementing a Medical Cannabis Trial in this State.

 

Yours sincerely

 

John Della Bosca, MLC

 

SPECIAL MINISTER OF STATE

________________________________________

[Pure]

Great to hear brash

 

 

and I love the reminder notice you sent ::

[WantDaChronic]

Let me reassure you that the NSW Government is continuing to carefully explore available options for implementing a Medical Cannabis Trial in this State.

 

all they need are seeds, growers and land....if immunity from cultivation charges applied to the growers, my hand would be up for growing and donating seeds to start up the program....sadly the government would prefer to make their own strains of cannabis to ensure low quality with the desired effects which will take years to do and then they'll relise the one strain cannot treat all conditions so it'll be another few years before they make new strains and finally release them to the public :thumbdown

 

all i see happening with this medical trial is the government relising its going to take alot of work and effort to actually impliment the trial and instead of actually getting off their asses and planting some seeds, they'll sign a bit of paper which says they are going to discontinue the trails untill such times as cannabis turns out to be a viable crop

 

maybe to hurry it up a bit, the people who smoke for medicinal use should write letters to the government telling them which strains treat which condition the best in their experience, etc. I was going to say that maybe they should throw some seeds or a clone in there as a suttle hint to start the program up, but it would be extremely sad to see a medical user put in jail for supplying the government with the means to help those in pain :thumbdown

[Guest niall]

Ha, we wish! What they will do, if in the unlikely scenario that the Commonwealth allows a trial, is patients will be forced to use:

 

a) NIDA schwag - rumour has it THC is extracted and sprayed back onto dry leaf and stem in standardised potencies. No-one is exactly sure as the process is proprietary and controlled in a Governmental monopoly. There is a single licenced grower with no competition or alternative product to study.

 

Canadian Flin Flon schwag - what Canadian patients (the few hundred who have received licences) refuse to consume because of numerous quality and safety concerns (grown in a toxic, polluted mineshaft).

 

c) Dutch Government cannabis - could be quite good from some reports, but it's so expensive that patients have opted to continue buying their cannabis from coffeeshops.

 

d) GW's Sativex whole plant cannabis extract (50:50 mix of THC and CBD - suitable for some conditions but not all, many patients seem to be unhappy with it compared to smoked cannabis but it's early days still)

 

Growing medicinal cannabis in Australia, or allowing patients to grow their own under licence, would be sensible and entirely within our treaty obligations. i.e. we need to get Howard out of office before this is even a possibility in my opinion. The medical cannabis community is still fighting tooth and nail throughout the world. Canada is our best hope, their cannabis laws (and medical cannabis regulations) have been struck down as unconstitutional and this will be driven home eventually. Hopefully before Parliament enacts new laws.

 

You would think that we would embrace Mother Nature. She's cheap, efficient, and safe. No... we better ban her and wrest control of green plants and seeds from the community and place our genetic heritage in the hands of responsible corporations like Bayer and other multinational pharmaceutical companies. Their drugs are safe! They're tested! We never have any major problems with them, it's all on paper and all the right people have been bribed...

Edited July 14, 2005 by niall

[Brash]

I've been chatting with a mate who works at a community radio station about collaborating in project I've been thinking about. Something along the lines of a "Voices of prohibition" series of podcasts/mp3s for publishing on the net and/or CD.

 

I was thinking of recruiting patients, doctors, carers, activists and researchers to tell their story in a short interview style format (say about 5 mins) and posting the result on my homepage for download and/or making it available on CD for people without mp3 technoloy. The CD would be ideal to post to politicians, media etc..

 

I have just upgraded my computer and gone broadband so i now have the technology to make it happen (with the help of my mate and his recording equipment) and of course the kind help of my ISP for some more free bandwidth.

Edited July 16, 2005 by Brash

[Brash]

draft logo for the podcast idea

 

EDIT: and another draft

Edited July 16, 2005 by Brash

[Luke Skywalker]

Fantastic idea mate, let me know if there's anything I can do to help out.

 

Brash, YOU ROCK!

[Brash]

I was at lunch today at a HIV charity (that I volunteer at) and was given the job of looking after the local federal member (Tanya Plibersek - ALP front bench). The person who runs the charity knows my politics and on big days (when dignitaries attend) always gives me a politician to 'look after'.

 

I've met Tayna before so she was rather prepared for my little spiel. Told her the idea about the potcasts in an attempt to humanise the debate. She thought it a really good idea. She agrees that with Tony Abbott as the federal minister in charge of any commonwealth permission for NSW to grow or import, it would not be wise for patients to hold their breath. But the good news was she also agrees that it is a waste of public resources to arrest patients and given the delays re: the start of a medical cannabis trial, she has agreed to lobby State members of the Labor party to direct police and/or prosecutors not to arrest (or prosecute) patients with a demonstrable need.

[Brash]

My latest letter to the federal minister in charge of approving the NSW medical cannabis trial:

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13 October 2005

The Hon Tony Abbott MHR

Minister for Health and Ageing

 

Dear Minister,

 

I am writing to you in your capacity as the Minister charged with responsibility of negotiating with the NSW Government in regards to that State’s proposed trial into the medical uses of cannabis.

 

Several years have passed since the trial was first proposed and a glimmer of hope was extended to the seriously ill. Since then otherwise law-abiding patients have reluctantly continued to break the law in search of symptomatic relief and a better quality of life.

 

It is interesting to note that many patients who use cannabis therapeutically use far less PBS medications for their condition - the reason being that cannabis can provide multi-symptomatic relief while producing an healthy appetite, something very important in many major illnesses. This is a win-win situation for both the patient and the taxpayer.

 

My understanding is that the medical use of cannabis does not interfere with our International obligations under the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) as is currently the case with the Tasmanian opium industry.

 

I urge you and Minister Della Bosca to act compassionately and arrive at a consensus, bringing this matter to a speedy resolution for the benefit of the patients of NSW.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Justin Brash

[Chato]

Mate your a true inspiration and I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

C

[raverspec]

Mate your a true inspiration and I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

C

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hear, hear! Brash, you are truly inspirational mate, and very well spoken. :smoke