Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has officially opened Queensland’s first operational medical cannabis farm, paving the way for Australian patients to access prescriptions for Australian grown medical cannabis.
Minister Hunt inspected the farm at MEDIFARM on the Sunshine Coast with Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien, who welcomed the prospect of a new industry for the local region and Australia.
“The cannabis products produced from the plants at MEDIFARM will be used to help Australians with conditions like epilepsy, chronic pain, cancer pain and multiple sclerosis,” Mr O’Brien said.
Minister Hunt thanked MEDIFARM for giving him a tour of the operation, and seeing first-hand the result of the Government’s decision to legalise medicinal cannabis production and establishing the associated regulatory framework.
MEDIFARM founding director Adam Benjamin echoed the sentiments of Minister Hunt and Mr O’Brien, saying the company’s number one focus was ensuring Australian patients have the best access to legal cannabis-based medicines.
“We have a duty of care, we must deliver this to patients in need,” Mr Benjamin said.
“These plants are now under cultivation and being readied to produce cannabis medicine by prescription, by Aussie doctors for Aussie patients.”
Medical cannabis will also be able to be exported to overseas countries following recent changes.
Doctors can apply under the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Special Access Scheme Category B or via an Authorised Prescriber (AP) Scheme to legally prescribe medicinal cannabis products.
The Special Access Scheme (SAS) online system allows prescribers in Queensland to submit their applications on behalf of patients in a single online application, which are processed within two working days.
As of 31 July 2019, over 11,000 approvals have now been given under SAS in Australia for medicinal cannabis products. Over 8,500 patients have been authorised to access a medicinal cannabis product through the Special Access and Authorised Prescriber Schemes. Approximately one-third of these approvals have been granted in Queensland.
