Medicinal cannabis users want Act changed

A QUEENSLAND mum, who has defended herself against cannabis charges, has launched a petition asking the State Government to amend the Drug Misuse Act that because it “unfairly” targets the wrong people.

President of the Medicinal Cannabis Use Association Deb Lynch. PHOTO: AAP/Renae Droop

A LOGAN mum, who has defended herself against cannabis charges, has launched a petition asking the state government to amend its Drug Misuse Act 1986.

Cornubia resident Debra Lynch said she was standing up for people arrested for using cannabis for medicinal reasons. Ms Lynch said the Act aimed to target drug traffickers but had “unfairly” caught others using cannabis for personal and medicinal use as well.

Medicinal cannabis.

Ms Lynch, president of the Medical Cannabis Users Association of Australia, said she was representing hundreds of Logan residents being “unfairly” dragged through the courts.

“Beenleigh courthouse has a number of MCUA patient members, who’ve been charged with cannabis crimes, myself included,” she said. “The petition asks for specific changes to laws and regulations, which will remedy this untenable situation. The Act was designed to target traffickers but presently 90 per cent of those charged under the Act are patients, carers or personal consumers.

“I have been refused a legal prescription, for a legally available medicine, and many others are in the same position and are also forced to source cannabis illegally.”

The changes the association is proposing allow access and exemption from prosecution for those who use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Medicinal cannabis.

The petition followed a rally at Parliament House on August 21 when the association’s recommendations were given to Health Minister Steven Miles.

Association members also posed questions to last month’s Parliamentary Estimates committee hearing on Health, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention.

The state government changed laws in December 2015 to allow any general practitioner or specialist in Queensland to apply for approval to prescribe cannabis through the Special Access Scheme and research trials.

Further changes were made in June 2016 to give certain specialists authority to prescribe cannabis without the need for Queensland Health approval.

But Ms Lynch said to date less than 50 patients have obtained cannabis through the Special Access Scheme and there are only two authorised prescribers.

Ms Lynch said she was still waiting for Police Minister Mark Ryan to respond to questions about how much arrests for trafficking cannabis cost taxpayers compared with medicinal cannabis users.