NSW makes bid to grow medicinal cannabis

NSW wants to grow its own commercial marijuana, Premier Mike Baird says.

He confirmed on Monday that the state had last week lodged an application to grow medicinal cannabis under the federal government's national licensing scheme.

He said trials were already underway and NSW was "getting ahead of the curve" with an early application.

"There are supply arrangements in place for those trials. If they are successful, the state wants to be prepared to supply for medical cannabis purposes."

The federal government legalised controlled cultivation of the plant for medicinal or scientific purposes in February this year, with strict security and cultivation protocols for licensees.

Mr Baird said it's yet to be determined how much cannabis the NSW government will attempt to grow.

Among those understood to be applying for a licence is medicinal cannabis campaigner Lucy Haslam, who wants to grow it on a farm near Tamworth.

Two years ago Mrs Haslam's son Daniel helped change Mr Baird's attitude to medicinal cannabis.

Mr Baird subsequently announced a multi-million dollar trial for the treatment of terminally ill adults, chemotherapy patients and children with severe epilepsy.
Daniel, who died in February 2015 at the age of 25, used cannabis to relieve the symptoms of bowel cancer.

Originally published as NSW makes bid to grow medicinal cannabis.

 

reference: http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/nsw-makes-bid-to-grow-medicinal-cannabis/news-story/7adcf9d95bb6fa8c1a1962f4b271480a