One Nation’s backflip in the Senate yesterday has put at risk the viability of domestic medicinal cannabis suppliers like MediFarm based on the Sunshine Coast.
Just seven weeks ago, MediFarm received the state’s first federal licence to cultivate and produce medicinal cannabis.
MediFarm had to undergo a rigorous licencing process and will be subject to the highest quality and security measures designed to ensure both patient and public safety respectively under the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme.
One Nation’s move has now put local company MediFarm at a disadvantage compared with overseas suppliers and importers as MediFarm finds itself in competition with international growers and producers even before the local company gets off the ground. One Nation’s backflip means patients, provided with a prescription from their Australian doctor, can gain access to unregulated overseas product through personal importation. This is despite the potential risk of internationally sourced products being inferior both in safety and efficacy.
One Nation’s back flip puts patients at risk, domestic suppliers in jeopardy and opens the door to criminals.
The irony is LNP defector come One Nation state leader Steve Dickson, attempted to take credit for MediFarm’s licence in April, and his own party has now put that entire Coast business at risk.