THE ISSUE OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS IN CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIA

Abstract

The primary aim of this paper is to enhance the quality of debate and assist interested parties to consider relevant contemporary issues concerning the reintroduction into Australia of cannabis for medicinal purposes: it thereby builds on our previous work in which we outlined the medical case.1 A secondary aim is to discuss some of the major areas where strong differences in opinion may currently be obstructing efforts to reform cannabis laws in Australia. It will be clear to the reader that the authors favour the case for legalising the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes by regulation and control, analogous to the means used for other clinically-useful drugs open to non-therapeutic uses.