THE FLEDGLING Legalise Cannabis NSW Party will be at Crescent Head Markets on Sunday as they look to recruit members and ramp up their efforts for law change.
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Despite an increasing interest in medicinal cannabis and an explosion in the number of scripts being written, many patients are still unable to get access.
"Patients all over Australia have joined with others who believe cannabis law reform is the only way to get cheaper easier access to medicinal cannabis for the greater number of patients who need it," Gail Hester, founding member of the Medical Cannabis Users Association (MCUA) and the Legalise Cannabis Qld (LCQ) Party, said.
"People who are financially disadvantaged are being discriminated against by the current delivery policy via doctor-only prescription and TGA approval under the Special Access Scheme. A scheme that was not designed to carry this much traffic.
"There are also those who feel that using cannabis as a recreational choice should be implemented. Fees and charges imposed on the sale of legal cannabis by the NSW Government could bring an alternative revenue stream to the Government and stop making criminals of everyday law abiding citizens who are being victimised by the current law.
"It would also free up police to attend to real crimes.
"The Federal Government would also benefit from the GST raised and there would certainly be a reduction in criminal gangs having a monopoly on sales - but only if government kept the prices on a par with street cannabis.
"Unfortunately, the myths continue to be supported by those in government. The 'gateway theory' has long been dispelled. There is no evidence that cannabis actually causes psychosis and there is much less risk to public safety from cannabis users who are far less inclined toward anti-social behaviours than those who are drunk.
"It has also been proven that underage use of cannabis has not increased in jurisdictions where it has been legal for several years. Drug dealers do not ask for ID. The people of Australia have been nagging the politicians at both levels of parliament to legalise and regulate cannabis sales for years. The governments keep refusing. The Federal government keep telling us it is a state issue.
"So to that end, the people of Australia have begun a political drive to make their voices heard inside parliament by creating branches of the Legalise Cannabis Party in every State nationwide."
The movement in NSW is in the process of collecting members to meet the criteria for registration as a political party.
"Here in NSW it is much more difficult and expensive to go through the application process but members of the Medical Cannabis Users Association of Australia Inc will be assisting in the membership drive for the Legalise Cannabis NSW Party at the Crescent Head market on June 13," Gail said.
"They would love to chat to the public about the advantages of this, and invite interested parties to find out all the other benefits that legalising cannabis would have for this State including the environmental, health, job creation and the economic benefits of hemp being treated as a crop and not a drug."
