The Australian Government to Present a Measure at the End of the Year Legalising Cannabis Cultivation

The Australian government is about to finalise a draft of an amendment to the 1967 Narcotics Law, through which it seeks to permit the controlled use of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes – a step that had been talked about for some time, but is now official.

Australia’s Health Minister, Sussan Ley, announced a few days ago that the government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will seek parliamentary support and consult with the different political forces and authorities before presenting the final version of the measure at the end of the year.

The aim is for Australia to be able to provide patients with safe, legal and sustainable medicine, although there are already systems for the creation and provisioning of medical marijuana-based products. Ley also announced plans to create a licensing system overseen by the Department of Health, through which to ensure that cultivation meets the international guidelines the country must observe.

The evaluation of these types of substances will be very similar to that of other drugs, and will always be supervised by medical professionals to determine their effects on patients. The plans also call for the authorities themselves to control the supplying of therapeutic cannabis products.

"This government is very understanding with regards to the suffering of Australians with debilitating diseases," said the minister, adding that they expect the access to treatment to be truly effective.

Thus far patients and researchers have had access to international supply that is limited and too difficult to purchase. Therefore, "allowing cultivation to be legal in Australia, under strict control mechanisms, strikes the right balance between patient access, community protection, and our international obligations," she concluded.