Cannabis drugs aren't yet available in Australia says Lucy Haslam

Cannabis drugs aren't yet available in Australia

"It's still a really important step, but it's not at the end point," Mrs Haslam said.

"I think patients will be frustrated by this announcement.

“Because, the reality is, they can’t just go out and get a script.”

Mrs Haslam said with no legal supplier of cannabis-based medicines currently in Australia, it would still be difficult for patients to access any drugs for some time.

"It's a big step, but it's a hollow promise, it's an empty box gift," she said.

While Mrs Haslam said there was a still a long way to go before cannabis-based treatments were available to patients, she said progress was ticking along at a fast rate.

"It's going as fast as it can, there's international conventions to abide by, federal laws have to change, the poison act had to be changed."

Mrs Haslam also said it would be important GPs could prescribe and said it would be unfair to regional patients if they were required to see a specialist for a prescription.

Local GP Dr Casey Sullivan agreed and said she would support evidence-based medicinal cannabis in treatment.

"There are particular conditions that would warrant the use of cannabis-based medicine," Dr Sullivan said.

"These would include palliative care pain relief and difficult to treat epilepsy."

Dr Sullivan said GPs would need to be at the "forefront of prescribing", with limited access to specialists in rural areas.

"GPs would need to be involved to ensure patients can access the medicinal cannabis in a timely, effective and appropriately monitored way," she said.

“A GP could ensure the treatment has the desired effect with constant review to ensure minimal side effects.

"If there are concerns about inappropriate prescribing one option would be to have a specialist initiate the prescription and then GPs could write all the scripts thereafter."

Minister Pru Goward said the state was regulating cannabis-based medicine in the same way as any other emerging medicine.

“There is still a lot to learn about safety and efficacy,” Ms Goward said.

“Which is why we are investing $21 million to further world leading evidence-based research.”