The medical cannabis industry is getting down to business as the Australian government and numerous states back plans to let seriously ill patients use marijuana as a treatment.

On 17 October, the Turnbull government revealed plans to legalise growing cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes, while Victorian premier Daniel Andrewsalso announced last month that his state would legalise the drug for medical use in 2017, including children with severe epilepsy.

Excerpt from Q&A, October 26, 2015.

RHONDA MILES: Our 15 year old epileptic son Lachlan has been on life support seven times. He has been hospitalised 95 times in the last four and a half years… We welcome the Federal Health Minister’s moves last week in her announcement that she will set up a farm to pharmacy medical cannabis production system in Australia by 2018. That doesn’t help my son now. Why can’t we import through the special access scheme and TGA, quality-controlled medical cannabis oil from overseas now?

“I’m in a constant state of amazement. I would gladly give it up and have Dan back in a heartbeat but that’s not the way life is. We just had to do this, we had no choice,” – Lucy Haslam

This month, as Australia announces wide scale changes to cannabis laws, many cancer patients and parents of epileptic children can look forward to medicinal cannabis being a reality. There is one Australian family who have made that reality possible, credited with not only changing public opinion with their relentless campaigning for the sick but actually bringing about legislative change with a 245,000 strong Government petition. They are the Haslams.

Perth, Nov 2, 2015 AEST (ABN Newswire) - MMJ PhytoTech Limited (ASX:MMJ) ("MMJ" or the "Company") today announces its activities report for the quarter ended 30 September 2015. 

Highlights:

- PhytoTech Medical and MMJ Bioscience merger successfully closed in late July, strategically positioning the Company as a vertically-integrated, Medical Cannabis ("MC") company with operations across the entire MC value chain and in key MC markets

A Canberra teen built a drug business worth tens-of-thousands of dollars by importing illicit substances and selling them to high school students and peers.

The teen, who cannot be named due to his youth, sold cannabis, MDMA, cocaine, and LSD worth tens-of-thousands of dollars over for about a year.

A police raid on his home in May located drugs, $14,035 in cash, and paraphernalia, including scales.

The ACT Supreme Court heard the 17-year-old started by buying and selling cannabis at school.

He was so successful that he expanded his business to hard drugs, which he imported into Australia from overseas.

The Conversation is fact-checking claims made on Q&A, broadcast Mondays on the ABC at 9:35pm. Thank you to everyone who sent us quotes for checking via Twitter using hashtags #FactCheck and #QandA, on Facebook or by email.

Excerpt from Q&A, October 26, 2015.

CLARENCE residents have approached State MP Chris Gulaptis with the idea of growing medicinal marijuana crops in the Clarence region.

"I have already been approached by constituents to see what the process involved in growing medicinal cannabis," Mr Gulaptis said.

"I have been in contact with the Minister about the constituents' views, but it is still early days so I cannot be sure what will happen during the trial period."

Mr Gulaptis welcomed the New South Wales Government's decision to begin medicinal marijuana trials.

"I think it is important that we proceed with the trials to see the benefits of medicinal marijuana," he said.

"If people are not getting full relief from traditional medication then we should try all new measures available to us.

A recent poll in Australia found that 91% of those asked–644 individuals aged 14 and older–support medical cannabis. Interestingly, support was highest among those older than 50.

This isn’t entirely surprising, considering Australia is known as one of the countries in the world, alongside the U.S., with the highest cannabis consumption. Still, a majority there do not support legalization for non-medical use.

Oct 28 2015 01:43 PMNews & Views Share this

GW Pharmaceuticals plc and the Government of New South Wales (NSW) Australia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU,) to progress a research program for Epidiolex® (cannabidiol or CBD) and cannabidivarin (CBDV) in children with severe, drug resistant childhood epilepsy.

“GW is pleased to have been able to respond to the needs of the New South Wales government and its citizens by establishing this research program for cannabinoid-based medicines in children with treatment resistant epilepsy,” said Justin Gover, GW’s Chief Executive Officer. “As part of this research partnership, GW expects to advance clinical trials in Australia for both Epidiolex and our earlier stage pipeline product CBDV.”