Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand before you today as a very happy man, both elated and deeply gratified, to be able to inform members in this place that Cairns, a region that I have the honour of representing, is now home to the first medical cannabis dispensary in Far North Queensland, the Wild Leaf Dispensary. Many members would be aware of my long-standing advocacy for medical cannabis. My conviction to have its benefits recognised was fuelled years ago during a trip to Alaska, where I observed the tremendous positive impact these dispensaries have in local communities. I thought to myself, 'This would be fantastic for Australia,' and here we are today, having come full circle.

In terms of advocacy in this long journey, I'd like to acknowledge a few people, starting with a constituent, Debbi Cliff, whom I met back in 2013. Debbi was grappling with chronic pain due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She conveyed her struggle with conventional pharmaceutical treatments and how medical cannabis was her only relief. I'd also like to pay tribute to Lucy Haslam and her late son Dan, who were national pioneers in this arena.

They were featured in a 60 Minutes program years ago, which is what really set me on my journey to championing this cause. Lucy's relentless advocacy has undoubtedly shifted the national conversation around medical cannabis.

I also had the pleasure of opening the doors of 321 Sheridan Street on Friday 1 September. The new Wildleaf Dispensary aims to fill a critical gap in our health system. Co-owner and pharmacist Janelle Dockray, who has a personal connection to the benefits of medical cannabis, understands the hurdles patients like her father-in-law, Ian Dockray, face. It brings me immense pleasure to see healthcare providers like Mrs Dockray taking bold steps to ease the access to medical cannabis for patients in dire need. While this is a remarkable milestone, it's important to acknowledge more work needs to be done to harmonise legislation across our states.

I'd like to extend my best wishes to Mal Anderson, Janelle and the entire team at Wildleaf Dispensary. I am proud to have fought for the necessary legitimisation of medical cannabis that has enabled you to bring this critical service to Cairns. I can't wait to see the benefits that it will bring, and I firmly believe that medical cannabis in Australia will enable a more compassionate and progressive healthcare system in Australia.

We've still got work to do, particularly in relation to veterans' affairs, because a lot of our veterans are returning from overseas with some horrendous stories and PTSD, and medical cannabis has to be part of that solution in their treatment, rather than just steering them into other types of pharmaceuticals. So I will certainly be working with Veterans' Affairs on this one.