State Labor leader Mark McGowan has backed the legalisation of medical marijuana, saying certain patients in the Peel region should be able to receive the drug from their GP.
On Sunday Mr McGowan said he supported moves for medicinal cannabis to be prescribed under the strict supervision of GPs for patients suffering with terminal or chronic pain conditions.
“Under my proposal appropriate patients in the Peel region would be prescribed medicinal cannabis when other medications have failed,” he said.
“Medicinal cannabis prescribed for the relief of pain, vomiting or nausea in terminally or chronically ill people would be a sensible approach, instead of leaving patients to suffer in agony.”
The Labor leader said his views arose in 2010 after he visited a young Rockingham man who used cannabis to help cope with a degenerative disease.
Mr McGowan said it was appropriate to give doctors the option of prescribing medicinal cannabis in tablet or spray form, but made it clear that only GPs would be able to issue prescriptions.
He said he remained opposed to: “the decriminalisation, cultivation or use of recreational cannabis”.
The Opposition leader said Shadow Health Minister Roger Cook would now investigate how medicinal marijuana could be implemented under strict controls.
But Australian Medical Association WA former president Richard Choong said more research on the safety and effectiveness of medical marijuana was required.
“Controlled trials using medicinal marijuana for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease have shown positive results, however we are concerned that legalisation of medical marijuana will send a mixed message to the community,” he said.
Health Minister Kim Hames was contacted for comment.