Our politicians - both Federal and state - are not a brave lot. The moment " Medical Marijuana " gets a mention they run for cover. In particular, they try and avoid a " conscience vote " because they fear being accused of being " soft on drugs " and possibly alienating the more conservative voters in their electorate.
It has been proved that the properties of Marijuana are beneficial in alleviating the unpleasant aspects of several medical conditions, but in particular it prevents the severe vomiting that accompanies the use of chemotherapy for cancer treatment. The two most common side effects are the loss of all hair - and constantly suffering the emptying of stomach contents. Thousands have found that the application of a little Cannabis oil totally relieves this condition.
It would be reasonable to task the Commonwealth Serum laboratories with producing Cannabis oil and making it available through hospital Chemotherapy facilities. It is completely unreasonable that a treatment that works to relieve vomiting is simply not available because it conflicts with a law - which is being widely disregarded. Chemotherapy patients are being discreetly told to go and find a drug pusher - and break the law to get relief.
Avoiding the need to legalize Cannabis oil will probably have an unintended purpose - eventually blowing out the cost of the PBS. The opportunity offering will not be missed by the major drug companies and they will seek to identify the actual properties present in Cannabis oil and duplicate them in a way that bypasses the legal definition of Marijuana - and then that will become a new patent. For the next twenty years the PBS will pay a high premium demanded by the patent holder - for a product that is presently available for just the cost of production in a government owned facility.
It seems that self preservation ranks higher in the minds of politicians than grasping the nettle when medical relief and criticism come into conflict. Bravery does not seem to be a political attribute !
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