2016-02-24
Australian Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale has today welcomed the passage of legislation to establish a national licensing scheme for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis.
“The Greens believe medicinal cannabis needs to be available to every patient who needs it and today we’ve seen the first piece of that puzzle pass into law,” said Senator Di Natale.
“Creating a national framework for cultivation and manufacture is an important step but much more still needs to be done. This bill does nothing to change the fact that cannabis is scheduled as an illegal drug that cannot be prescribed by a doctor.
“This issue wasn’t on the government’s radar a year ago and I’m proud to lead a party that had the vision and courage to put it on the agenda. And I must acknowledge people from across the political spectrum who worked together constructively on this reform.
“Today is the one year anniversary of the passing of Dan Haslam, who campaigned for medicinal cannabis reform in the last few months of his life. And this bill would not have passed today without the tremendous contribution of Dan’s mother Lucy. The bill that passed today means that the Haslam family’s pain and suffering has not been in vain and that Dan's legacy will live on forever.”
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