Medical cannabis appropriate, compassionate

Reforms to allow the medical use of cannabis by patients with terminal illness and AIDS have been recommended Wednesday by a NSW Parliamentary committee. The recommendation, if adopted by the NSW government, will allow patients with specific certified medical conditions to possess and use up to 15 grams of dry cannabis. The committee says it is preferable for patients to receive the benefits of the drug through pharmaceuticals, "which are standardised and highly regulated by the Commonwealth Government," said Committee Chair Sarah Mitchell. "We recognise the risks and negative effects of crude cannabis use particularly via smoking and by no means do we endorse the recreational use of cannabis. "However, the Committee considers that on the basis of the available evidence, providing for a very small and specific group of patients to use crude cannabis products for medical purposes legally is both appropriate and compassionate," she added. The recommendation is the result of an inquiry by a NSW legislative council committee established in November 2012 to look at the efficacy and safety of cannabis for medical purposes. The committee found that there is scientific evidence to support the value of cannabis in the treatment of certain medical conditions -- particularly a number of painful illnesses that don' t respond to existing medications. "We see the pharmaceutical system as the best option for these patients, and strongly encourage further clinical trials to build the evidence base about the medical uses of cannabis," said Mitchell. The committee also recommends that patients and carers be registered with the NSW Ministry of Health, and protected from arrest and prosecution. "People who are at the end of their life and take measures to either relieve their severe pain or stimulate their appetite should not be criminalised. "We consider it important to protect this small and highly vulnerable group from any criminal justice consequences for their end stage health condition. These people should not be subject to the humiliation and stress of arrest and appearing in court," Mitchell said