21 July 2014

Has Shane Rattenbury thought the medical marijuana question through?

| Masquara
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I feel for the families of desperately ill patients interstate who need medical marijuana – but has Shane Rattenbury thought this through? If the ACT becomes the first and only prescribing state/territory, there will be a flood of medical immigrants looking for prescriptions. That might not matter in terms of just prescriptions – but what about the other medical costs these terribly sick people will need paid (by us)? Hospital stays, clinics, followup, home care… potentially the gamut. At massive expense to a town of fewer than 500,000 inhabitants.

I gather some of the conditions where medical marijuana brings relief might be a great impost on the communal health purse. Surely this is an issue that needs states to all agree and introduce the solution together.

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/national/2014/07/21/green-proposes-medical-marijuana-use-in-act.html

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dungfungus said :

Pork Hunt said :

The CBR logo could be rebranded Cannabis Brings Relief…

That is brilliant!
CBR could also be “Canberra Boosts Rates”

Canberra Builds Railroads ??

Pork Hunt said :

The CBR logo could be rebranded Cannabis Brings Relief…

That is brilliant!
CBR could also be “Canberra Boosts Rates”

Actually I don’t think we’re alone on this given that NSW Premier Baird has indicated that he supports medicinal cannabis for those with terminal illness.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/premier-mike-baird-will-consider-medicinal-cannabis-bill-20140529-396lb.html

The CBR logo could be rebranded Cannabis Brings Relief…

Masquara said :

Interesting that Katie Gallagher – usually so sympathetic to drug users, including quite hardcore needle users – has knocked back this proposal of Shane Rattenbury’s. I suspect that, as I’ve suggested, the risk of massive health care costs freaked out the bean counters and the (quite arguable) suggestion that medical cannabis should be legalised for people who need it will indeed have to wait for all-states consensus. And, Nazasaurus, if it is THE medication that is going to alleviate suffering, then it would almost certainly be at the top of the family’s list – including moving to the ACT to get it. Certainly a family featured on tabloid media down in Victoria in recent days would be moving here.

Or too many people are calling him the chief minister she has to push back and claim her position?

Interesting that Katie Gallagher – usually so sympathetic to drug users, including quite hardcore needle users – has knocked back this proposal of Shane Rattenbury’s. I suspect that, as I’ve suggested, the risk of massive health care costs freaked out the bean counters and the (quite arguable) suggestion that medical cannabis should be legalised for people who need it will indeed have to wait for all-states consensus. And, Nazasaurus, if it is THE medication that is going to alleviate suffering, then it would almost certainly be at the top of the family’s list – including moving to the ACT to get it. Certainly a family featured on tabloid media down in Victoria in recent days would be moving here.

Ben_Dover said :

“Has Shane Rattenbury thought?”

You could have finished it there.

ahh .. Bendover , thanks for a good chuckle

Oh so it’s ok to grow half the world’s opium in Taswegia for medicinal purposes but we’re not going to allow the sick access to cannabis who may benefit from it? What poppycock!

Bosworth said :

“there will be a flood of medical immigrants looking for prescriptions.”

Stop The Cars!

we would, but we can’t tell you about it as it is an ‘on-road’ matter…

Seems this is a ‘look, a bird’ issue to distract from negative light rail press – not go mention there’s no way it’s gonna happen as all ACT laws can be overridden by the Cth. More waste of time and money on another pointless exercise. Again.

“Has Shane Rattenbury thought?”

You could have finished it there.

it is already decriminalised here anyway. I think this just adds an extra bit of protection for those who grow it for medicinal purposes. From memory you could own 2 plants under the previous legislation.

“there will be a flood of medical immigrants looking for prescriptions.”

Stop The Cars!

I can see a Ministerial fact finding trip coming up.
North America and Uruguay on the itineray so far.

I suspect if you interviewed terminally ill patients, their families and health care providers involved in palliative (or other type of terminal illness care), this would not be at the top of their list of urgent needs. But like most things its based on a politician’s agenda rather than actual feedback from the people affected.

I’m not sure how you could possibly come to this conclusion if you’d actually read the article that you linked?

There are NO prescriptions. The proposal does not cover the Government supplying the drug, all it does is allow residents (and I presume this only covers ACT residents, although it’s not clear) to possess and grow marijuana for their own use legally.

Any such usage permit would only be valid for use in the ACT, so any ‘medical immigrants’ would need to relocate here for it to be any use to them. I can’t see many people with less than a year to live wanting to move here just so they can legally smoke a joint.

Your argument makes no sense at all.

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