A New Zealand drug support agency says naming an energy drink Cannabis is irresponsible and trivialises drug use.

AusCann has switched its focus from Norfolk to Christmas Island as it forges ahead with plans to grow and export medicinal cannabis crops.

An Australian company is now eyeing Christmas Island as a hub to grow and export medicinal cannabis.

AusCann is excited about federal government plans to allow the controlled cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes.

It wants to become the first Australian company involved in the commercial production of medicinal cannabis for export to Europe and elsewhere.

The company initially wanted to grow its crops on Norfolk Island.

But the end of self-governance in the offshore territory, among other frustrations, has seen the company switch its focus to Christmas Island.

Growing cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes came a step closer to legislation in Australia, as ministers announced planned changes in legislature.

Health Minister Sussan Ley said in a statement Saturday that the parliament will debate a revision to the current law to provide for alternative treatment for those with debilitating illnesses, VICE News reports.

The announcement follows the move by the state of Victoria to create a legal framework around medical cannabis, and statewide sales are set to begin before 2017. Access will be given to children suffering severe epilepsy.

The Cancer Council says legalising medicinal cannabis will be a huge relief for Hunter cancer patients.

The Federal Government has announced it will legalise the growing of the drug to help those suffering from debilitating illnesses.

The council's Hunter regional manager Shayne Connell said he hopes patients are delayed no further.

"It helps us to get around one of the big issues that we have had since about 1999 which is, 'how do we supply this in a way that's safe, is regulated and in the best interest of patients?" he said.

"So by doing that, and by alleviating some of that stress for local cancer patients, we are hopeful that this is another positive step in the right direction to have access to this treatment."

The Government will not be swayed by "emotional nonsense" colouring calls for wider access to medicinal cannabis, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne says.

The issue has hit the spotlight after outgoing Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly, who has terminal lung cancer, pleaded for the Government to improve access to medicinal cannabis.

Dunne told Radio NZ there was "a lot of very loose and uninformed talk" about current access to medical cannabis, which ignored the current procedures in place for those who wanted to use the drug for health reasons.

The Federal Government has announced it will legalise the growing of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

She said she had been moved by stories of people who got some relief from medicinal cannabis, sometimes legally imported but not always.Health Minister Sussan Ley said the Government wants to give people suffering from debilitating illnesses access to the most effective medical treatments.

"I have heard stories of patients who have resorted to illegal methods of obtaining cannabis and I have felt for them, because with a terminal condition, the most important thing is quality of life and relief of pain," she told AM.

"And we know that many people are calling out for medicinal cannabis.

A group of federal politicians say national uniform legislation is needed so that states can amend their own laws and allow access to medicinal marijuana.

A woman whose son lost his battle with cancer earlier this year has pleaded for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to support laws to create a national framework that would pave the way for terminally ill patients and others to access medicinal marijuana.

Lucy Haslam, who has long been at the forefront of a campaign to legalise medicinal cannabis, on Monday joined a cross-party group of senators and MPs in Canberra to push for laws that would have provided her son Daniel relief from the debilitating nausea he had been suffering as a result of chemotherapy.

Medicinal cannabis could be legally grown and prescribed to patients as early as next year under a cross party bill that has attracted initial support from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Greens leader, senator Richard Di Natale, announced on Monday that the bill to create a regulator for medicinal cannabis for certain conditions had been drafted and would be put before the Senate for a vote in November.

While Victoria and NSW state governments had indicated that they wanted to legalise medicinal cannabis, a federal regulatory scheme was required to do this: "We need national laws to make sure we can licence growers … that doctors can prescribe this and that the medication gets in the hands of patients who need it."

Terminally ill Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly is pleading with the Government to improve access to medicinal cannabis, as she confesses she is "a little bit scared" of dying.

Kelly, who has lung cancer, said on Monday she had exhausted all legal pain relief and had resorted to the black market to obtain cannabis oil. But she did not like putting people in an awkward position to help her.

"I've tried [cannabis oil]. I'm not promoting it as a curative, but as a pain relief it's incredibly effective for me and it doesn't make me feel sick, which morphine does."

She took the drug at night to make sure being stoned would not disrupt her day.

Evidence of the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis in treating a number of conditions is overwhelming and it should be made available for those conditions immediately, Senator Richard Di Natale says. Photo: supplied

Richard Di Natale​ is forging ahead with his bid to legalise medical marijuana and warns the Turnbull government would be foolish to stand in the way.

The Greens leader will ask the Senate to vote on his bill – co-sponsored by Liberal, Labor and crossbench senators – next month and he's calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to get on board to ensure its success.

Senator Di Natale will personally press Mr Turnbull for his support when the pair meet in Canberra this week.