NSW cannabis laws exclude 'super effective' oil

Premier Mike Baird has announced cannabis-based medicines that were previously only able to be used in clinical trials in NSW can now be considered by doctors for patients who have exhausted standard treatment options.

However, Griffith veterinary nurse Kelly Cameron said Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO), a ‘natural’ version of the drug regarded as the most effective form of cannabis for treatment, was off the table while synthetic forms manufactured by pharmaceutical companies were being pushed.

“They’re heavily promoting products from pharmaceutical companies and not the plant-based oils,” Ms Cameron said. “It’s a plant, just let us grow it.”

Minister for Medical Research Pru Goward said NSW was regulating cannabis-based medicines in the same way as any other emerging medicine.

“Patients wishing to investigate the use of cannabis-based medicines will need to talk with their doctor about suitability,” Ms Goward said.

“There is still a lot to learn about safety and efficacy for different patient conditions and groups.”

Ms Cameron said the government was going down the wrong path with the drugs.

“It’s a small step but it’s almost a kick in the teeth for families who need this drug,” she said.

“Mike Baird is again ‘peacocking’ around but in reality it’s nearly impossible to work out what can and can’t be an illness to qualify for medical cannabis.”