This week marks a major marijuana milestone for the Australian state of Victoria. Last year, it became the first region in the country to legalize medical cannabis use, and now that system is starting to bloom. Early on Tuesday, the Andrews Government announced that they had successfully harvested Australia’s first-ever medical cannabis crop. 

Sowed in a secret government grow facility back in April 2016, this marijuana plant is being tested and prepped for the country’s first patients. This particular plant will be reserved for children suffering from severe epilepsy, and will be available for treatment starting this year. 

Twenty-five companies have applied for licences to grow and manufacture medicinal cannabis in Australia. 

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced today medical marijuana could be easier to import to Australia, if requested through a doctor, by fast-tracking importation while local supplies expand.

Meanwhile the Victoria Government has harvested its first crop and approved a trial to test its effectiveness of cannabis a treatment for epilepsy.

Medical marijuana is already a rapidly growing business in Israel, the United States and Canada and many of those global companies are now positioning themselves for entry here.

While Australia is increasingly pro-medical cannabis, it's still hard to get your hands on the stuff if you're in need (and have a prescription).

The government has indicated it's open to speeding things up, with Health Minister Greg Hunt announcing Wednesday that authorities will allow more rapid importation of the drug while a domestic supply is built. Medical cannabis is often used to alleviate pain associated with cancer as well as epilepsy. 

NSW Labor will push for the decriminalisation of cannabis for medical purposes in a move Opposition Leader Luke Foley says will return dignity to the terminally ill.

The push, which would decriminalise the possession of up to 15 grams for treatment of chronic and serious medical conditions, follows the unanimous findings of a parliamentary inquiry into the medical use of cannabis.

“If someone’s pain and suffering can be relieved by medicinal cannabis then I am in favour of its use to that end,” Mr Foley said.

The legislation requires the terminally or chronically ill and their carers to be certified by NSW Health before possessing cannabis.

The current laws make it a criminal penalty to possess cannabis regardless of illness.

THE Andrews Government has harvested Australia’s first medical cannabis crop. ­

Canberra has also given the green light for a commercial company to also start growing plants.

The cannabis, planted at a ­secret site last April, will be ­reserved for children with ­severe epilepsy this year.

The crop is now being tested and formulated in preparation for the first patients.

Victoria last year became the first Australian state to legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Mark Rayner is part of the thriving nationwide medicinal cannabis underground which is flouting the law, daring police to lay charges.

Just one month after police raided the house of South Australian cannabis oil producer Jenny Hallam, Mr Rayner is another oil producer who has defied the threat of criminal charges and gone public with his operation.

In a secret suburban location in Adelaide, Mr Rayner showed 7.30 how he prepares the oil by mixing alcohol with cannabis and carefully separating and distilling the mix into a thick paste.

The Turnbull Government is taking further action to enable the safe and legal distribution of medicinal cannabis products for adults and children suffering from painful and chronic conditions.

We recognise that access to medicinal cannabis is of vital importance to many Australians. But we must ensure this is done in a way that is safe and responsible.

To help achieve this, we have established and appointed members to the Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis - which will provide expert advice to government.

I am pleased to announce that Professor James Angus AO has agreed to Chair the Advisory Council and Emeritus Professor Anne Tonkin has agreed to be Deputy Chair. They will be joined by some of Australia's top medical professionals.

Australian GPs are sending sick and dying patients to black market suppliers of medicinal cannabis because prescribing it legally falls into the too hard basket, Nine.com.au has learned.

There are hundreds of "compassionate suppliers" dotted around Australia - most covert, but some openly – giving cannabis oil away for free, Craig Goodwin told Nine.com.au.

Goodwin, aged 52, a father-of-four and a deacon at his local church on the central NSW coast, has been arrested three times and spent 10 months in a maximum security prison for supplying cannabis oil to people dying of cancer, including young children with brain tumours.

Roto-Gro produces an automated hydroponic growing system.

Roto-Gro International (ASX:RGI), a Canadian cannabis-tech company has been admitted to the ASX, and has become the latest player to join the list of cannabis based companies on the ASX.

Roto-Gro produces a fully automated rotary hydroponic system (a method of growing plants without soil) which can be used to grow up to 420 cannabis plants.

Australia legalised medical cannabis on 1 November 2016.

Taxes on marijuana? There is a lot of money being made in this world already on the taxation of cannabis. There are nations like Uruguay and Israel taking a new approach on the substance and bucking the status quo on marijuana policy in their country. Many states have legalized medical marijuana in America, and many more will follow in the coming months and years.

This interesting graphic from Turbotax shows just how prevalent the cash is from taxes. In the end, the US spends 12 billion prosecuting marijuana crimes, which is a real shame. Hopefully the feds will move, but with the new administration, we aren’t holding our breath.