Medical Cannabis in NSW

Following calls by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Law Society of New South Wales for people with illnesses such as cancer and AIDS to be prescribed cannabis for pain relief, the Government convened a working party to advise the Government on:

• the efficacy and safety of cannabis for medical purposes;
• the extant medical and scientific literature;
• what further research is required;
• if and how cannabis can be effectively administered with the least harm to patients;
• if and how cannabis, or any cannabinoid substances, should be supplied for medical use and how diversion for recreational use or dealing or trafficking could be avoided in these circumstances;
• legal, ethical, pharmacological, physiological, mental, general health and community implications and issues concerning the use of cannabis for medical purposes;
• recommendations to the Government’s Expert Advisory Group on Drugs.
• The working party was chaired by Professor Wayne Hall, Executive Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

It also included medical academics/clinicians, representatives from:

• the NSW Cancer Council,
• the AIDS Council of NSW,
• the Law Society of NSW,
• the AMA,
• the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners,
• Government agencies including NSW Police and NSW Health.

Report on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes

The working party produced a Report called the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes.

Volume 1 is an Executive Summary of the report. It contains all the findings and recommendations from the Working Party. The Executive Summary is recommended for those seeking an overview of the report. Volume 2 is the main report and is recommended for anyone wanting more detailed information.

These are available in pdf format.
Volume 1 (152Kb pdf file)
Volume 2 (659Kb pdf file)

Consultation Process

The Report on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes was released on 1 November 2000 and interested individuals and groups were invited to make submissions on the issues raised in the report by 2 February 2001.

The July 2001 Report on the Consultation on the Findings and Recommendations of the Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes was tabled in Parliament on 20 September 2001. This is a report on the submissions that were received.

The Consultation Report and the Appendices are available in pdf format. To open these files you will need Acrobat Reader.

Consultation Report (105 Kb pdf file)
Appendices (1.1 Mb pdf file)

NSW Parliament
Medical Cannabis Programs: A Review of Selected Jurisdictions
A briefing paper by Rowena Johns which outlines the health benefits and detriments of cannabis use; summarises medical cannabis laws and programs operating in a range of overseas jurisdictions; and traces the development of a proposal to authorise the medical use of cannabis in New South Wales. August 2004