A committee has recommended the ACT Legislative Assembly reject a medical cannabis scheme proposed by Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury.
Mr Rattenbury presented draft legislation to the Assembly in August last year that would make it legal for people suffering chronic or terminal illnesses to use cannabis for medical purposes.
Under the arrangements, people would be able to get a permit to grow the cannabis.
After months of scrutiny a Legislative Assembly committee, made up of two Labor and two Liberal MLAs, has recommended the bill be rejected in its current form.
Committee chair Chris Bourke said it was a national issue and the ACT should not go it alone.
“The committee was of the opinion that the draft bill was naive and ill-considered,” he said.
“Whilst the committee does support the compassionate principle behind the bill and respects the concerns to help those in need, especially for those who are terminally ill or who have serious medical conditions, unfortunately the Bill doesn’t provide a workable regulatory framework or a proper means of supply.
“The bill also raises significant medical, legal and public health risks, and under any scheme there needs to be an assurance that a quality supply of medical cannabis.”
The committee made seven recommendations, including that the ACT Government continue work with the Commonwealth, States and Territory on a national medicinal cannabis scheme, as well as clinical trials.
It also calls on the Federal Government to improve access to synthetic cannabis drugs.
The committee received 35 submissions from members of the public, health groups and ACT Police and held a series of public hearings.