Have your say: Senate inquiry into barriers to accessing medicinal cannabis

MS Queensland welcomes the Senate Inquiry which was announced on 14 November into the current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis. This is an opportunity for the MS community to share their frustrations and difficulties in accessing medicinal cannabis and how this has impacted on your wellbeing.

In 2016, the Australian Government changed the law to allow doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis for specific diseases/conditions, however, we continue to hear stories of how difficult or at times impossible it is for people living with MS and other conditions to access products.

The Senate Inquiry will look at various aspects of the current medicinal cannabis landscape. Some of the key items we’ve identified include:

• the appropriateness of the current regulatory regime
• the suitability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for subsidising patient access
• the shortage of Australian manufactured products and delays in access
• the significant financial barriers to accessing medicinal cannabis treatments

You can read the full terms of reference on the Australian Parliament House website.

MS Australia will be making a submission to the inquiry on behalf of MS Queensland and other MS societies. We also encourage people in the MS community to share their experience with accessing medicinal cannabis to help inform the inquiry. You can either make a personal submission or provide your experience to MS Australia for them to include in their submission. We’ve outlined how you can make a submission below.

Submissions close on 17 January 2020 with the report due to be handed down on 12 February 2020.

Make a personal submission

There are a number of ways you can make a personal submission. For more information on how to make a submission including some tips on what you should include visit Senate Committee webpage.

Share your experience with MS Australia for its submission

MS Australia want to hear from you! They want to hear about any frustrations or difficulties you’ve had in accessing medicinal cannabis, the impact this has had on your wellbeing and quality of life and any suggestions you have for improving the system in Australia, by posting on their Facebook page, or by email to info@msaustralia.org.au. They’ll include your comments in their submission to this inquiry.