Medicinal cannabis to be cultivated through a single national scheme
The federal government announced yesterday that it is to oversee all regulatory aspects of the cultivation of medical cannabis through one national scheme.
The move will remove the need for states and territories to implement legislation to set up individual cultivation schemes and ensure laws are consistent across the country for growers. It follows consultation with state and territory governments and law enforcement agencies over the past month.
Announcing the initiative yesterday Health Minister Susan Ley said that allowing controlled cultivation locally will provide the critical “missing piece” for a sustainable legal supply of safe medicinal cannabis products for Australian patients in the future.
“I am confident creating one single, nationally-consistent cultivation scheme, rather than eight individual arrangements, will not only help speed up the legislative process, but ultimately access to medicinal cannabis products as well.” .
Ms Ley said creating a national scheme would see the Commonwealth now put in place legislative amendments to Australia’s Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 that would not require individual state and territory governments to put in place their own complementary legislation for cultivation. It would also ensure Australia would remain compliant with international obligations under the United Nations’ Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 (Single Convention).
The Commonwealth has pledged to soon provide states and territories, law enforcement agencies and Federal parliamentarians with an exposure draft outlining the proposed legislative changes for further consultation.
“We want to not only ensure these legislative amendments are rock solid, but that we can all work together to pass them in a bipartisan fashion as quickly as possible."
Ms Ley made it clear that the initiative did not relate to the decriminalisation of cannabis for recreational use, which remained a law enforcement issue for individual states and territories.
