Following on from the federal legalisation of medicinal cannabis in February, Victorian parliament has now passed the Access to Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2015.
This month will see the first cultivation trail begin, with the treatments being available to selected patients from early 2017.
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42 recommendations from the Victorian Law Reform were taken into consideration, including exactly how to administer the treatment and who will be eligible.
To access medicinal cannabis Victorian patients will have to qualify as an “exceptional circumstance” approved by two specialists. This includes severe epileptic seizures, muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, severe pain and nausea from cancer or HIV/AIDS or chronic pain.
Severe epilepsy in children will be among the first cases to be treated, with a range of vaporisers, sprays and oils utilised as opposed to a smokeable product.
“Children with severe epilepsy will now be able to legally access this lifesaving treatment from as early as 2017,” Jill Hennessy, Minister for Health told News.com.
“It is absolutely heartbreaking to see families having to choose between breaking the law and watching their children suffer — and now, thanks to our groundbreaking legislation, they won’t have to.”