Medicinal cannabis will be permitted to be exported from Australia for the first time in what is being hailed as a boost for the North’s agricultural sector.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the move today, saying exporting the product would help to secure the long-term supplies for Australian patients.
“Exports were not initially allowed in the scheme because Australia was focused on gaining the confidence of the international community in its cultivation system and other controls,” Mr Hunt said.
“We are making these changes because the expanding domestic medicinal cannabis products industry is facing increasing competition from imports.
“And allowing the export of medicinal cannabis products will help the developing domestic market to grow further.
“We believe it is appropriate to amend the regulations governing the export of cannabis products to provide a level playing field.
“By helping the domestic manufacturers to expand, this in turn helps to ensure an ongoing supply of medicinal cannabis products here in Australia.”
Mr Hunt said it would be a condition of any licence authorising export that medicinal cannabis products be made available to Australian patients first.
Tablelands based Agricultural company, Trimpex International, secured licences from Biosecurity Queensland to grow industrial hemp and carry out research in 2016.
The tropical climate and rich soils were touted as being perfect for growing industrial hemp.
Joe Muscat, who has been growing industrial hemp which does not contain THC on his cane farm near Mackay for more than a decade, said the ability to export medicinal cannabis could provide opportunities for growers in the North.
“It does open up some opportunity and it certainly adds value,” Mr Muscat said.
“There is no doubt that we can grow industrial hemp in the North and we can do it quite well.
“The ability to be able to export medicinal cannabis is, I suppose a good thing, however we’ve got to get our own backyard right.
“If we have a thriving local market then export would support that very well.”
“The obvious move is to get our own markets and set ups working, and the uptake has been quite slow.
“Not all doctors are prescribing it and it hasn’t taken off as well as a lot of people expected.
“But having said that, it will happen it just takes time to develop.”