Now cannabis is legal for medical purposes, is it legal for me? No, it is still illegal to grow, have, use or sell cannabis if you are not part of the medical trial.

Now cannabis is legal for medical purposes, is it legal for me?

No, it is still illegal to grow, have, use or sell cannabis if you are not part of the medical trial.

New Victorian medical cannabis laws

The Victorian Government recently introduced new laws (the Access to Medicinal Cannabis Act 2016) which let patients use medical cannabis for very specific scientific or medical purposes.

Who can legally use cannabis?

At this stage, medical cannabis will only be available as part of a trial starting in 2017 to treat children with serious epilepsy.

Why did the government introduce the new laws?

The Victorian Government introduced the new laws because they were worried about:

  • Patients and their families illegally buying cannabis without their doctor’s knowledge;
  • Patients using illegal cannabis that might have unknown ingredients added that could be harmful; and
  • Patients using illegal cannabis which interferes with the medication their doctors are prescribing them.
    The Government wanted to introduce laws to test if medical cannabis can help patients with certain types of medical conditions.

 

It is still illegal to grow, have, use or sell cannabis. Consult with YouthLaw or YoDAA for more info.

What if I want to use cannabis but I’m not part of the trial?

If you’re not part of the trial, it is still illegal for you to use cannabis. It is important to remember that it is illegal to grow, have, use or sell cannabis.

What if I want some help?

Take a look at support options that are available or give us a call 1800 458 658.

If you’re looking for more information about medicinal cannabis consult with YouthLaw.