[Greens-Media] FW: Premier's support for medicinal cannabis a step in the right direction

[John Kaye]

From: John Kaye
Sent: Wednesday, 23 July 2014 10:50 AM
To: John Kaye
Subject: Premier's support for medicinal cannabis a step in the right direction

Premier's support for medicinal cannabis a step in the right direction

Media release: 23 July 2014

Greens NSW MP John Kaye has welcomed the Premier's support for legislation to legalise medicinal cannabis for the terminally ill.

'Premier Mike Baird rolls up on legal medicinal cannabis'<http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/premier-mike-baird-rolls-up-on-legal-medicinal-cannabis-he-would-support-his-family-using-it-if-they-were-terminally-ill/story-fni0cx12-1226998015806>, Daily Telegraph, 23 July 2014

Dr Kaye said: "The campaign to legislate for the compassionate use of medicinal cannabis for the terminally ill in NSW has just taken another big step forward.

"With the parliament about to resume, we could have legislation passed within weeks. It is now quite possible that NSW will become the leading jurisdiction in Australia on this issue.

"However the Premier's warning about the supply issue remaining unresolved rings some alarm bells.

"For too long medicinal cannabis has been thrown in the too-hard basket by nervous politicians.

"The Greens would not want to see the difficulties in resolving the complex supply problem being used as an excuse to quash the whole exercise.

"The perfect should not be the enemy of the good in this case.

"Providing relief from the nausea and anorexia associated with cancer treatment is a moral imperative.

"Every day of delay in passing legislation is another day of needless suffering for these people.

"Too many people have already suffered needlessly due to the misguided hysteria around leakage to the recreational market.

"The Greens have a bill already drafted to allow terminally ill patients and their carers access to medicinal cannabis.

"We want to work with Nationals MP Kevin Anderson to get something through as soon as possible.

"The clinical use of cannabis should be dealt with in the same way as any other experimental pharmaceutical product.

"In Australia, the medical potential of cannabis is only just beginning to be officially explored.

"We should be at least having a conversation about all of the possible medical uses of cannabis.

"Hopefully the Premier's support now means we are on the brink of real life-changing reform," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455


John Kaye
Greens NSW MP

P: (02) 9230 2668 | F: facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc<http://www.facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc> | T: @johnkgreens<twitter.com/johnkgreens> | W: www.johnkaye.org.au<http://www.johnkaye.org.au>
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

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