Medical Cannabis

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:38): Thank you, sir. My supplementary is: could the minister advise whether he has any figures on how many people are currently using medical cannabis to treat conditions legally, or otherwise, and does he also have figures by how much that figure might grow if the legal pathway was simplified?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:38): I thank the honourable member for her considered question. I agree with much of the premise of the question that the pathway should be simplified and that was the whole point of the discussion paper that the government released. I don't have figures, but I can ask and bring back an answer as to the numbers of people who might be accessing the legal pathway to medicinal cannabis. I am not sure I will be able to find an answer to how many are accessing it illegally. The first part of the question, though, I am happy to see if I can find a response to bring back to the honourable member.