Page 4472 - Week 14 - Thursday, 1 December 1994
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Consider also this statement:
If a medical practitioner ... were to decide that the use of cannabis by the patient would be appropriate for their physical or mental condition whatever it may be, whether it be intractable pain from terminal cancer to arthritis to stress, or indeed an inability to gain weight, then this would bring the use of the cannabis within the purview of the section.
As I have said repeatedly, the zealots for cannabis claim that it is beneficial for everything from a common cold to cancer. This legal advice makes it pretty clear that a doctor can make the decision that he will trial the drug for anything from a common cold to cancer, can keep the research notes and can prescribe the drug. I have described that as open slather. I have tabled the legal opinion. Members can make up their minds whether this amounts to the most serious charge that a Minister can face under the Westminster tradition. (Extension of time granted) Madam Speaker, I believe that that refutes, and refutes totally, Mr Humphries's aspect of the allegations.
I turn, or I return, to Mr Moore's allegations. These are the ones that make me most sad, rather than angry, because it has been an attempt - I will not say a grubby attempt; I will say a sad attempt - to drag the AIDS community into this partisan political debate and to make political capital on AIDS Day. Mr Humphries and Mr Moore both say that the AIDS Action Council support what they did yesterday and that I have misled the house by saying that they have not said that they support what was done yesterday. The press release that has been read out and claimed to be in support of what was done yesterday makes no reference to legislative moves in this house. It simply says that they support medical use of cannabis in certain circumstances. As I said yesterday, that can be done under the existing Act.
I will read and then table a statement which I have just received from Mr Gillett, the general manager of the AIDS Action Council of the ACT. Members may recall that in question time I started to relate a private conversation that I had had with Mr Gillett at lunchtime and then I retreated because I really think that members of the public, members of community groups that the Government has a long, fruitful and supportive relationship with, like the AIDS Action Council, or even members of groups that we may be having disagreements with, should be able to have a conversation with a Minister without me having to come into the chamber and relate verbatim what was said. While I would like to have done that, it is an undesirable precedent for me to do so and I will not do it; but I will read and then table the statement. It says:
Dear Mr Connolly
In light of the way the AIDS Action Council's statement of earlier today has been interpreted, I find it necessary to clarify our position to you.
As you will notice from today's press release, the AIDS Action Council supports legal access to cannabis for medical use. Questions about the particular amendment which was passed in the Legislative Assembly
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