Aus - Denying the dying cannabis cruel: Senator

[CLICKHEREx]

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/06/22/denying-dying-cannabis-cruel-senator


22 Jun 2014 - 10:01am

Drug reform advocates in federal parliament are gearing up for a renewed push to legalise medical cannabis.


Source
AAP

22 Jun 2014

A Greens senator says it's cruel to deny the ill access to medical cannabis because of the stigma associated with it.

Senator Richard di Natale, who is a doctor, says there's clear evidence that medical cannabis can be very effective for prescribed medical purposes.

"I just think it's cruel to deny people the option just because there's some stigma associated with it," he told the Nine Network on Sunday, amid a renewed push to legalise the drug for medical use.

"We're going to push to try and get people on all sides of politics to back this reform.

"The science and the evidence is very, very clear."

The recently re-established Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy and Law Reform, convened by federal Labor, coalition and Green MPs, discussed the issue in Canberra on Thursday.

Liberal co-convenor Sharman Stone said trials had shown the value of using medicinal cannabis in relieving suffering associated with some terminal conditions

"As a compassionate society we must join other developed nations in allowing the regulated use of medicinal cannabis," Ms Stone said in a statement.

The NSW parliament is expected to consider legislation to give terminally ill patients access to cannabis after senior cabinet ministers voiced support for a Private Members Bill to be introduced in August.

Australia's largest doctors' union, the Australian Medical Association, has acknowledged cannabis has "therapeutic potential".

Senator di Natale said politicians tend to shy away from controversial issues, but they had to be guided by science and evidence.

He wants to see cannabis growers licensed in the same way as poppy growers.

"It's a very, very effective drug," he said.

"Medical marijuana is much less addictive than some of the opiate-type painkillers we already give."

He said medical cannabis helped cancer patients manage their weight, pain and nausea.

[someone]

I'm glad to see yous guyses.government jumping on the med wagon. The more countries to pass med bills the more acceptable it will become until it is finally legalized. The only reason it has a stigma is because of dum Shit politicians illegalizing it and spreading their baseless propaganda. Who knows what dis-eases can be treated with it once legally sponsored research can be done without the researchers having to jump through hoops just to aquire samples of marijuana. Too bad every other aspect of society is going down the shitter.

[Sallubrious]

He wants to see cannabis growers licensed in the same way as poppy growers.

He wants his big pharma mates to seize ownership of this gift to humanity and profit from it.

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Yeh this is very far away from anything happening in the US. But hey it's a step

[someone]

What do you mean? Here in the states I believe we are up to 23 states with med laws and the fda is currently pressuring the dea to reschedule and decriminalize marijuana federally. Once 25 states pass med laws the government would be hard pressed to finally do something federally or risk dividing the nation which is already in a tense situation due to high unemployment, corporate bail outs, constant violation of constitutional rights, being a militarized prison nation, the final acceptance that the war on drugs has and has always been failing, fiat currency, national debt, in short the multiple failures of the us finally coming to light and finally being recognized as truth. If those in charge have any common sense they will let us "low class uneducated stoners" have our whacky tobacky to quell the restlesness and disdain growing in the ever growing two class society that has become our reality here. That way the common citizen will be able to self medicate and pacify themselves into a continued submission. America is fucked there is no doubt about it but legalizing marijuana will go a long way for politicians to win over the public so they can continue sodomizing us every fucking day and the smart ones know this.

Edited June 27, 2014 by someone

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

I'm sorry. I was very generally referring to the media articles we see over here relating to cannabis cards and the generally availability for the masses, not just the terminally ill.

[someone]

No worries. I'm a bit tired at the moment and have no idea why I started ranting haha. I could have easily stopped my post with "what do you mean?" Reading it over it seems I was excessive with my reply. I hope no one will be offended by it but it is my honest view on what has become of my country which I believe has failed its citizens.

[FIZZER]

What is really sad is that not only as a country do we allow the dying to suffer but those with epilepsy and many other illnesses arent able to use cannabis either...

I also think Jillian "the shrill"skinner in here comments after meeting Daniel Haslem that cannabis is just as likely to cause lung cancer and tobacco utterly ridiculous and uneducated...

vaporiser... and edible come to mind Jillian...

we allow drunk king hits and the cigarette companies to throw billions at our governments to kill us but cannabis is illegal...

I sawa report the other day were I think in the US where 88,000 people die each year of alcohol related deaths....

I can only hope the baby boomers quickly fade away and Australia can lose its ultra conservatism...

[Sallubrious]

Yeah it's a step Dood, if goes down that road I can't see it being much different to opium though. They've been growing Opium for a long time under license and there's never been any change towards the legality of growing it at home for personal use.

Don't get me wrong, I think sick people should have access to Marijuana, it's the corporate controlled model that we're being presented with as the only option that doesn't sit right with me.

The hypocrisy of the whole situation when compared to alcohol seems like the elephant in the room that no-one has noticed. It's socially and morally acceptable for people drink alcohol, bash their wives, crash their cars and engage in other destructive behaviour but it's not OK for someone to grow a weed in their backyard and chill out after smoking it - unless they are dying and it's been purchased from a corporate behemoth.

Things don't don't happen in politics by accident, so I see this for the pre-planned contrived propaganda that it is. We have a recent groundswell of propaganda coming from the media presenting just one option and that option is to give control of the weed to big pharma.

So now we have this bizarre situation where it's socially acceptable for the average baby boomer to sit around (drinking alcohol) chatting about legal Marijuana, where a few months ago it was taboo and they don't even realise that they are perpetuating corporate propaganda with the narrow frame of reference they are regurgitating.

The mind of the collective mass of idiots that is the general population of Australia has been manipulated to support the attitudes big pharma wants them to have. The broader implications seem too abstract for feeble minds to comprehend.

[DiscoStu]

It's socially and morally acceptable for people drink alcohol, bash their wives, crash their cars and engage in other destructive behaviour

hmm, not sure what country you're living in but it certainly doesn't seem to me to be morally or socially acceptable to " bash their wives, crash their cars and engage in other destructive behaviour", whether drunk or not. also looking at the media's recent hysteria wrt to NSW drinking laws drinking alcohol itself seems to be becoming less socially acceptable (at least not as much as it was in say the 80's).

[DiscoStu]

He wants his big pharma mates to seize ownership of this gift to humanity and profit from it.

also to maintain state control, when conservatives say they're against "big government" it really means they're against regulations for corporations. they're still perfectly happy to send in the stormtroopers to trample any personal liberties lest the proles get ahead of themselves.

[Sallubrious]

Come to the town where I live and count the retail outlets selling alcohol. The last time I checked there were over 20 of them with more planned and approved by council.

All I can see is that we turn a blind eye to anything that generates a profit. The only moral standard that applies to a free market economy is profit, anything else (including human misery) is a moot point.

In this area a large part of the crime that occurs is a direct result of alcohol abuse and it's a growing problem, councils approve more retail outlets selling alcohol every year.

When I say socially acceptable I mean there is no stigma for a problem drinker purchasing alcohol and many of them around here walk the streets carrying beers. Alcohol is way of life around here and so is domestic violence. In some areas the problems may be diminishing but around here (and almost any country town in NSW) the problem is growing.

[someone]

Big pharma tried that crap over here and tried saying that their marijuana pill was a better substitute since they can not patent naturally occuring substances. I am not exactly sure how the marijuana activists fought them so I can not really be of much help there. But if someone has the time definitely look into it and try to get a political group going. Some states definitely have more lax med laws and Colorado and Washington have it fully legal but the main point is patients have access to the high quality medicine they need. If the government believes they can fully and perfectly enforce everything they are more delirious than I gave them credit for. If I were across the pond in your beautiful country I would start a political group like I stated above, look into how we kept big pharma out of it over state side, and also look into new yorks med laws. I believe they have the tightest restrictions and should hopefully be able to persuade your government. This has moved passed the stoners movement and is now more importantly a patients rights issue. Th terminally ill that could benefit.from marijuana far out way any politicians or corporations political agendas!