Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House the urgent need for an amnesty or immunity from prosecution for genuine patients and carers to grow and use their own cannabis, possibly under medical supervision. In 2020 the Federal “Inquiry into current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis” highlighted this specific need in Recommendation 20. It also recommended that all states and territories work with the industry to provide compassionate access and that states should “expand their own Compassionate Access Schemes”. Queensland has no such compassionate access scheme. The Federal Government also said in its response that it did not support an amnesty, nor did it support the establishment of a government-funded subsidy scheme, as these were matters for the states. The findings were never addressed by the states due to the pandemic and hence a majority of needy patients still cannot afford the expensive, mostly imported products, nor the excessive fees charged for access. An amnesty, whilst the current government continues to review drug laws, will enable patients to access what they need and eliminate the need for a public subsidy. For legitimate patients to be denied medicine due to unaffordability is discriminatory at best, and tantamount to a human rights violation at worst.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to consider Recommendation 20 with the view to providing an amnesty for those who qualify for a prescription but due to their chronic illness are unable to work and afford the high cost of treatment.