Entsch proposes legalising medical cannabis

Tuesday August 26 2014, 4:30pm

Federal member for Leichhart Warren Entsch has proposed legalising cannabis oil as a treatment for debilitating illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s Disease.

Mr Entsch is in the process of drafting a private members’ motion to Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash with the aim of getting the concept ‘on the agenda’ for a future sitting of Parliament, and said legalising medical cannabis could greatly improve quality of life for people suffering from extreme illnesses.

“We’ve seen this treatment take down the number of epilepsy seizures in kids from a thousand a day to in single digits per day,” Mr Entsch said.

“There are members of the public everywhere that need this - there are people in Port Douglas that need this."

Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsh. (supplied)

Mr Entsch said the benefits of introducing cannabis oil far outweighed any social risks.

“I have to be clear here that we are talking about allowing the use of cannabis oil and a nasal spray, this not something that you can put in a pipe and smoke it to get high,” he said.

“It doesn’t need to be excluded because of the potential for recreational use - we don’t ban the use of morphine or cocaine or amphetamines for medical use, so why would we continue to ban cannabis when it has such positive health effects?

“Drug users and drug dealers are not going to be interested in something that you can’t get high off.”

Port Douglas man Michael Kovac said it made sense for cannabis to be used medically, especially for terminally ill patients.

“I think it’s a good idea,” he said.

“It’s been used in the past for treatment of people with AIDS, including a friend of mine.

“If it can be used to improve the life of someone who might not have that long to live, what’s the problem?”

Cannabis oil has several documented health effects including suppressing nausea, stimulating appetite and counteracting spasms, but the long-term effects of usage are not-well known and research is complicated by recreational marijuana’s illegality in most places.

Although Mr Entsch admitted that research into the health effects of cannabis was ongoing, he believed there was enough evidence for allowing medical use of the substance.

“Additional research does need to be done, but in my view the most important research has already been done,” he said.

What do you think?

Should the use of cannabis for medical purposes be allowed or is the proposition too risky?