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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-03-01 Daily Xml
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Medical Cannabis

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Police, representing the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, on the topic of medical cannabis.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Over a year ago, federal laws passed that have had the effect of legalising access to medical cannabis, cultivation and manufacture, as well as patient access, in this country. As of this month, in Queensland, GPs will be able to prescribe medical cannabis for patients under the laws passed in that state last October. The laws give certain specialists, such as oncologists, paediatricians, neurologists and palliative care specialists, the right to prescribe medical cannabis, as well as other doctors, including GPs, the ability to apply to Queensland Health for permission to prescribe drugs for patients who have certain conditions.

By comparison, in South Australia we have had a discussion paper on medical cannabis patient access that was released late last year and closed on 31 January this year, which recommended in its options that GPs not be able to prescribe medical cannabis under any circumstance, and we have constituents and industry players who are consistently, in correspondence, referred to the Minister for Substance Abuse when asking questions about patient access and other areas of access to medical cannabis in this state. My questions to the minister are:

1. Can the minister clarify for the public record why this government has chosen that the Minister for Substance Abuse and not the Minister for Health takes carriage of medical cannabis?

2. Can the minister also confirm that it is the case that not a single doctor in South Australia of any class—GP or specialist—has yet been able to become an authorised prescriber of medical cannabis and that, in effect, there is no patient access to medical cannabis in this state as a result?

3. What training, if any, has been provided in South Australia to the medical community for professional development in medical cannabis?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:01): Those questions pertaining to areas within the responsibility of either the Minister for Health or the Minister for Substance Abuse I am more than happy to take on notice and pass on to the appropriate member in the other place.

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