8th Mar 2023, 6:27 PM – Senate Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2022 Measures No. 1) Bill 2022 - Second Reading - Affordable medicinal cannabis

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by West Australian Senator Jordon Steele-John (Greens) to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time". To read a bill for a second time is to agree with its main idea.

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes that:

(i) in 2020 the Community Affairs References Committee, as part of its inquiry into current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia, examined the difficulties for patients in accessing medicinal cannabis through current pathways and regulatory schemes, as well as the substantial barrier of cost to patients; and

(ii) the committee made various recommendations to the Government aimed at improving access to medicinal cannabis, but not all of these recommendations have been accepted or implemented; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) ensure that affordable medicinal cannabis products are available to all patients who require them for therapeutic use; and

(ii) consider and implement the outstanding recommendations from the Community Affairs References Committee inquiry".