A Queensland MP wants part of his far north electorate to become the state's cannabis capital.

Shane Knuth, MP of Dalrymple, thinks the fertile soil and annual rainfalls of the Atherton Tablelands, near Cairns, would be perfect for growing medicinal marijuana.

Knuth, from the Katter's Australia Party, says farmers in his electorate would be enthusiastic about the opportunity to grow the crops.

"I have been approached by farmers in my electorate who ... would embrace the opportunity to work with the government as growers of this new emerging medical crop," he said in a statement on Thursday.

Knuth has been Dalrymple MP since 2009.

Julian Paul Hamer, a former flower farmer and habitual cannabis user who had a preference for baked cannabis goods, was found with 327 cannabis saplings in March this year.

Hamer made full admissions to growing the plants at his Watsonville property, west of Atherton, and pleaded guilty to charges of producing and possessing illegal drugs.

Photographs of the young crop taken by police during a raid of the farm were yesterday presented to the court during his sentencing.

Defence barrister Derek Kordick told Judge Sarah Bradley the exhibits demonstrated Hamer’s proficiency as a horticulturist.

It follows plans by a Yungaburra pharmacy to become one of the first medical marijuana dispensaries in Queensland.

Mr Knuth wants his electorate, which stretches from Atherton to Charters Towers, to take the lead in cultivating the alternative crop, providing numerous benefits to Queensland.

“Medicinal cannabis has the potential to provide economic benefits, health benefits and research opportunities in Queensland,” he said.

“Currently, the cultivation of cannabis is prohibited in Queensland.

It’s an interesting time for marijuana, more US states are looking ahead to full legalization and Canada is moving forward with a wide scale plan which could eventually legalize cannabis across the whole country. Jamaica is getting serious about building a cannabis industry and more countries such as Columbia, Australia, and New Zealand are looking at changing their laws to accommodate marijuana on a medical basis.

Here are the top 10 business sectors that will thrive under this process:

1. Agriculture

We're still just beginning to understand why some people become dependent on marijuana but others don't. Your genes could have a lot to do with it, a new study suggests.

For the first part of the study, published online today in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, researchers looked at genetic data from 1,558 Australians who reported both marijuana use and childhood sexual abuse. 

A TABLELANDS pharmacy is preparing to become one of the first medical marijuana ­dispensaries in Queensland should the drug be legalised in Australia.

Yungaburra Pharmacy co-owner Mark Hope has spent thousands of dollars on buying online domain names such as medicalweed.com.au and meed.com.au to start selling the herb should it be decriminalised for use by the terminally ill, chronic pain sufferers and those with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Queensland is partnering with New South Wales to start trials with the drug next year, with Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley suggesting a medical marijuana industry could flourish in Australia.

THE plan hatched to bring medical cannabis to Queensland has unearthed a groundswell of support which continues to grow.

The Daily understands State Member for Buderim Steve Dickson will this week lobby for a moratorium enabling doctors, nurses, ambulance officers and other medical professionals to come forward and present case studies to the Queensland Health Chief Health Officer.

Mr Dickson recently backed a push to explore the use of cannabis oil to treat medical conditions, while also sponsoring a petition requesting the State Government to allow all Queenslanders with medical conditions who could benefit from the treatment, access to Australian-made, whole-plant cannabis therapies.

Dixie Brands, a US company that produces health and beauty products containing cannabinoid extracts, is on track to enter the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2016 as and when legislation permits.

Alongside food, drinks and tinctures, Dixie Brands also produces its own range of cosmetics products including Bath Soak, Muscle Relief Lotion and Relief Balm.

It comes as Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth questioned Health Minister Cameron Dick in Parliament yesterday regarding the state’s involvement in the cultivation trials of medical cannabis to help terminally ill adults and children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Sugar cane farmer Joe Trimarchi said he saw the potential of growing cannabis locally to distribute across the eastern states.

THE medicinal cannabis debate has heated up with two state member sponsored proponent e-petitions still open for signatories and a third already closed.

The e-petition which has garnered the most support, lodged by the Medicinal Cannabis Users Association of Australia and open to all Queensland residents until the end of this month, has already collected more than 7000 signatures.

Requests to the House made by the Medicinal Cannabis Amnesty petition include allowing "all persons with a medical conditions or symptoms... access to Australian made whole plant cannabis therapies" and to "provide immediate amnesty to all cannabis therapy users, their carers and cannabis therapists to facilitate discussion and research without fear of prosecution".