PRESS RELEASE: Medical Cannabis is legal, so why can’t people get it?
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – 25 FEBRUARY 2019 – Medical Cannabis was made legal in Australia two years ago, yet there’s only around 3000 patients across Australia who have been approved to use it.
Whilst the number of prescribed patients is accelerating, there are still many thousands of Australians – adults and children – with serious illnesses who simply cannot find a Doctor who will prescribe it.
Pharmacist Paul Mavor says, “Initially, access was limited by a heavily bureaucratic system that involved a great deal of paperwork. Today, the Federal System has been streamlined and access made far easier & much faster. But at a State Level, it’s still difficult with applications receiving close scrutiny from within the respective State Health Department.”
This is leaving those who need Medical Cannabis most – in great difficulty getting hold of it.
Why?
Director of Medical Cannabis Research Australia Jason Jordan says, “Unfortunately, Cannabis still has something of a stigma attached to it. Most Australians have an opinion about Cannabis and it’s often quite negative, but it’s important to acknowledge that what has been made legal is not the recreational drug smoked by stoners.”
Medical Cannabis is a medicine. It is a quality controlled, known efficacy, known dosage extract that has a repeatable effect and is impossible to overdose on. It can treat many of the illnesses we use opiates for – but it’s much safer and not addictive.
Yet there are still many Doctors who simply will not consider the benefits of Medical Cannabis.
That leaves many qualified patients without a way to source a medicine to which they are entitled. This is especially frustrating for those outside of city centres where there are limited Doctors. It’s also the reason why some Patients are opting to return to the black market.
We’re trying to address these problems.
We believe education is a critical part of helping Medical Professionals learn that Medical Cannabis is not a terrible demon drug and that it should be considered in many of the instances where dangerous opioids would normally be prescribed.
Medical Cannabis Research Australia is a registered Australian charity with a mission statement “Educate, Advocate, Research”. We have been holding Medical Cannabis learning seminars around Australia for Medical Professionals to learn from experts in the field and have more coming during March 2019.
Our speakers include Doctors, Pharmacists, Researchers, Scientists, Economists, Analytical Chemists and Prescribed Patients – all of whom are advocates for the benefits of this medicine.
At the Seminars, Experts will present solid facts, compelling economic arguments and provide data as to the real value of a plant that can be made into a medicine that has such amazing capabilities. Patient Advocates will also speak at a personal level to help turn the theoretical into reality.
Our next seminars are in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth beginning on Monday, March 11.
The Media are invited to attend.
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MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH AUSTRALIA exists to help bring Medical Cannabis to those who need it by helping fund those researching the possibilities, educating those who can prescribe it and advocating to those who can make it available to everyone. We want to speed up legal access to the medicine people need by focusing on research, advocating and education. We are a charity funded through private & corporate donations, grants, through the educational seminars we hold and through traditional fund-raising endeavours such as lotteries and events.