By Eric King-
Australia has legalised medical marijuana for medical purposes, but not for recreational use. The question on the lips of cannabis supporters is likely, who’s next?
Cannabis producers in Australia are now allowed to apply for a licence to legally grow the crop in Australia for medicinal purposes only.
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The Narcotic Drugs Amendment Act 2016 came into effect yesterday, Sunday and allows businesses to apply for a licence to cultivate cannabis or manufacture cannabis products for medicinal purposes, or to conduct related research.The Australian health minister, Sussan Ley, said the changes would give patients and doctors access to a safe, reliable and legal source of cannabis for medicinal use.
“Until now, it has been difficult for patients to access medicinal cannabis products from overseas sources,” Ley said in a statement on Sunday.
“These new laws change that situation by providing for a domestic supply of medicinal cannabis products that are not readily available for import.”
She stressed the changes do not decriminalize recreational cannabis use.
LEGALISED FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES
In order to obtain marijuana for medical purposes in Australia, Licence applicants must pass a security test and meet strict requirements, and individual states and territories will still decide who can use medicinal cannabis.The decision by the Therapeutic goods administration was first published late in August, following a ruling from the Federal Parliament’s ruling to change the Narcotics Drugs Act to allow cannabis to be legally grown for medical purposes. With this land- mark ruling, who is next in line to legalise marijuana for medical purposes? And if one country has taken the step to legalise marijuana for medical purposes, what is stopping other countries from following suit?
CLINICAL TRIALS IN AUSTRALIA
Clinical trials have provided strong evidence that cannabis helps patients dealing with chronic pain, epilepsy and cancer with little to no side effects.It has also proved useful in treating inflammatory bowel disease . However, authorities in the UK still fear that legalization of cannabis may be seen to be a green light for increased recreational use of marijuana.Colorado and Washington have already legalized the recreational use of the plant, leading cannabis campaigners to question why it is not legalized for recreational use in other countries like the UK.
However, the Australian Parliament stopped short of legalising marijuana for recreational use, choosing to limit it only to medical purposes- the general grounds on which cannabis campaigners have argued for the decriminalization of cannabis.