Criminal history checks on doctors and patients should not be used to assess applications to access medical marijuana in Queensland, a parliamentary committee has argued.
The Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Committee has delivered its report on a bill which would create a formal process for Queensland doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis.
The Public Health (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2016 proposed allowing the chief executive of Queensland Health to request a criminal history report on medical practitioners and their patients as part of the decision on whether they were a suitable person to prescribe or receive the drug.
Several groups opposed the measure, arguing criminal history was not relevant in a clinical determination of a patient’s medical treatment, and could discriminate against patients with old or minor convictions.
The Queensland Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies pointed out that medical practitioners already needed criminal history checks as part of their registration process.
The committee said Queensland Health had not provided sufficient justification for the use of criminal history checks, and recommended references to criminal history be removed from the bill.
“The committee shares submitters’ concerns about the appropriateness of a practitioner’s and patient’s criminal history being a determining factor in the treatment of a patient’s medical condition,” the report reads.
“The committee understands that criminal history checks are not undertaken on patients when determining appropriate treatment in any other circumstances in Queensland.”
There is evidence to suggest medicinal cannabis can help patients with multiple sclerosis, arthritis, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, epilepsy with severe seizures, HIV and AIDS-related symptoms and chronic pain, the report states.
Under the proposal, medical marijuana would be dispensed by approved pharmacists.
The Sunshine State could become home to cannabis farming, with home-grown products expected to be cheaper and quicker to access than those sourced overseas.
Home-grown cultivation and manufacturing may create agricultural and business opportunities for Queensland, the report says.
“The committee recommends that the Queensland government, through the lead department the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries prioritise its investigation into options to obtain a licence to cultivate and manufacture medicinal cannabis in Queensland,” the report reads.
Medicinal Cannabis Australia had stated: “There is the perfect weather in Queensland to cultivate; why not show the rest of Australia how it can be done?”
The committee recommended the bill be passed.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Queensland Medicinal Marijuana One Step Closer As Committee Report Tabled
Author: Felicity Caldwell
Contact: Brisbane Times
Photo Credit: Uriel Sinai
Website: Brisbane Times
