Page 4475 - Week 14 - Thursday, 1 December 1994

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not said that they support your law reform. I have here a statement which says precisely that. I also have another statement which has just arrived here, and no doubt many other places, from Sydney. It is a media release from the Australian Doctors Fund and it says this:

Connolly's stand on marijuana in the ACT has doctors' support.

The Australian Doctors' Fund (Australia's largest doctors activist group with over 2,500 contributors) has endorsed the stance of ACT Health Minister Terry Connolly in opposing ill-founded legislation on the so-called therapeutic use of MARIJUANA.

Spokesman for the Australian Doctors' Fund, Mr Stephen Milgate said, "Under legislation proposed by Mr Michael Moore, Independent Member for the ACT and supported by the Liberals, SKUNK (a high THC Marijuana type) could dramatically increase in usage in the ACT. (The legislation is silent on THC content.)

I referred in question time today to the danger of clinical trials where you have no control on the quantity of the drug consumed or the strength of the drug. The media release continues:

Minister Connolly has insisted that a permit for research usage of Marijuana should go through existing appropriate medical research channels, and not be the subject of new permissive - broad-brush - fill in the details later legislation. Mr Connolly is acting responsibly and in the interests of all constituents including those that this legislation is alleged to help by opposing the removal of proper medical research safeguards.

Dr Stan Doumani, a Canberra GP and ACT spokesman of the Australian Doctors' Fund, stated that he had no idea as to how he would prescribe Marijuana as suggested by the legislation. "We are not in the habit of prescribing any substance where there is an absence of sufficient medical and scientific knowledge about its effects and side effects. To do so would invite medical negligence claims."

"Nor is there any method of controlling the dosage situation which is not the case with any other form of medication."

"The whole issue is quite ludicrous. I cannot believe that politicians could act so irresponsibly."

The Australian Doctors' Fund will write to every GP in the ACT to canvass their views on this latest development, Dr Doumani said.

Madam Speaker, there have been two pathetic bases for this pathetic motion. As I said, I rise more in sorrow than in anger because Mr Moore has such a record, a well-recognised and well-deserved record, on pushing for sane and sensible drug law reforms. He is internationally recognised, and properly so, and I commend him for


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