Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (11:01): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises the growing importance of medicinal cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) as an alternative treatment option for South Australians;

(b) supports expanded research and clinical trials into the treatment of conditions, including endometriosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and chronic pain; and

(c) streamlines access to locally manufactured products for South Australian residents.

I honestly believe that South Australian people deserve access to the highest quality, modern and affordable health care available to them. For a growing number of South Australians, this includes treatment with medical cannabis. Whatever your thoughts about medical cannabis, there is growing evidence showing success where other conventional treatments have failed. There is also evidence that medicinal cannabis should be a legitimate first-line treatment for some conditions, rather than be considered an alternative or last-resort treatment. Chronic pain is now the leading indication for its prescription, with more than 100,000 scripts being written for chronic pain in Australia in 2022, followed by sleep and anxiety disorders.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the use of medical cannabis for more than 130 conditions, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, spasticity and palliative care, although these are often considered on a case-by-case basis. Although patient access has improved slightly over the last few years, there are still many barriers to accessing medical cannabis in our state. According to research conducted by the South Australian parliamentary library in 2020:

• Research into cannabis medicines is limited and disparate, restricting medical establishments, understanding and treatable conditions and appropriate medicines;
• Many doctors do not feel confident or comfortable in using the available access schemes;
• Regulations are complex and difficult do navigate;
• Illegal use for self medication is persistent, complicating clinical trials.

Three years following the publication of that research, I will argue that very little has changed. Is it any wonder our doctors are reluctant to prescribe medical cannabis? In 2020, a federal Senate inquiry exploring current barriers to patient access to medical cannabis in Australia heard from more than 30 experts and stakeholders in various fields. The report makes for very interesting reading.

A survey conducted by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, through Sydney University, showed just 3 per cent of medical cannabis users are accessing it through legal means. That is an estimated 600,000 Australians accessing medical cannabis illegally. More than 90 per cent of the survey respondents thought the current regulatory framework did not work well, and more than 60 per cent said the cost was prohibitive and expensive. Almost 90 per cent said the current access model was extremely difficult for patients to navigate.

If a desperate patient cannot access the products legally, they will access it illegally. Illegal medical cannabis accessed on the green market is completely unregulated, and the patient has no idea where the product has been produced, what they are ingesting and the levels of active compounds. Misinformation and self-medication are a very dangerous combination. Not only does this put people's safety at risk but it undermines the legal industry—all the more reason to support patient access to legal and regulated products.

In order to be an effective medicine, cannabis must be produced consistently under controlled circumstances by professionals. It is also important to point out the affordability issue I made earlier. Many of the parents who have contacted my office have spoken about the incredible cost of continued treatment for their children and having to reduce doses or, even worse, stop treatment altogether. As South Australians buckle under increased cost-of-living pressures, the last thing we want them to do is cut corners on health care.

I have spoken many times about two young children in my electorate whose parents battled for years to get them access to affordable medical cannabis to treat juvenile epilepsy. One local parent, Katherine Height, has put forward her experience in a submission to the recently formed Joint Committee on the Legislation of Medicinal Cannabis. I see this committee as an important step for all sides of politics to work together to further medicinal cannabis treatment options for our state.

I encourage the committee to pay careful attention to the submissions put forward by everyday South Australians who are already having to negotiate a complex and difficult patient access system. Katherine's submission highlights the battle these parents face in finding a medication that finally gets results but is too expensive for them to continue on a regular basis. I will read a section of Katherine's submission now:

At every Neurology appointment I ask the same question about funding for CBD and does Ella—

that is her daughter—

qualify, and I get the same answer. No.

I have accepted that Ella will never be seizure free [but] there are so many rites of passage she cannot engage in, for example getting a licence, but I refuse to accept a quality of life any less than what she deserves based on political red tape.

I am a proud South Australian but to put it simply, I feel my state [has] let me down, and is letting my daughter down.

I shouldn't have had to travel interstate to access a clinical trial, I shouldn't have had to make a choice between paying for life changing medication or electricity, I shouldn't have to accept a quality of life for Ella that results in her having hundreds of daily seizures because she doesn't fall under the Dravet or LGS banner.

In our case we have exhausted all other options and are currently on a combination of four anti-epileptic medications and the ketogenic diet.

I am terrified for the day when the funds run out and I have to stop the CBD once again.

I am terrified to see the regression in Ella and I fear for her safety and mental health.

Katherine's submission also highlights the extra problems regional people face in accessing treatment. In capital cities, it is far more likely you will find a GP or a specialist willing to prescribe medical cannabis for you; whereas in regional areas, where GPs are thin on the ground already, it is far less likely this will occur. The more we can better support and understand this industry, the more training we provide our medical professionals, the more evidence-based trials, the better the outcomes for South Australian people.

I congratulate my parliamentary colleagues on their work on this issue, in particular Greens MLC Tammy Franks, who introduced the Road Traffic (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill 2021. This bill aims to ensure people driving with THC in their system would be exempt from police action if they have a valid prescription.

Earlier this year, new drug-driving laws came into effect in South Australia, which means that drivers who test positive for MDMA as well as THC will face an immediate loss of licence. This does not take into account people who have been legally prescribed medical cannabis containing THC, even if it is trace elements.

In Victoria, the state government was working on an Australian-first select trial for a small number of medical cannabis users to drive if they are not impaired. In Western Australia, there has been legislation introduced to grant exemptions for those with a legitimate prescription. Nationally, the Drive Change campaign has been started to create awareness of this issue and drive law reform across Australia.

Tammy Franks also shares my view on increasing access to legal medicinal cannabis products for South Australian patients. If a desperate patient cannot access the product legally, they will access it illegally. Illegal medical cannabis accessed on the green market is completely unregulated, and the patient has no idea what they are ingesting and what the levels of active compounds are. Not only does this put people's safety at risk but it undermines the legal industry—all the more reason to support patient access to legal and regulated products.

It is estimated that by 2030 approximately 670,000 patients will be seeking access to medical cannabis in Australia. A particular focus of mine over the last few years is the tremendous opportunity this industry could provide for our regions. It is my belief that regional South Australia, including the city of Mount Gambier, has a big role to play in the production and manufacturing space. But if South Australians are being forced to illegally access medical cannabis, South Australian doctors are reluctant to prescribe it, and South Australians are having to travel over the border to access clinical trials, it is clear we have some large hurdles ahead of us.

This is an industry that needs regulation and controls and a unified approach from both the state and federal governments. What we need is a regulated framework that aligns with other states and the commonwealth and legislative change to support this. We need to fill the knowledge gap and encourage education and training campaigns for both the general public and, most importantly, our medical fraternity. We also need to subsidise costs and streamline access pathways. We need to curb the flow of misinformation and conduct more research and long-term studies into the effects of this drug over multiple conditions.

I look forward to reading the Joint Committee on the Legislation of Medical Cannabis report and I look forward to some real change occurring in this sector. I see this as an opportunity for our state to lead and drive change. Importantly, we need South Australians to have access to the very best health care and treatment options available to them.

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (11:56): I want to thank all members who have contributed to this motion: the member for Frome, the member for MacKillop, the member for Hammond, the member for Giles, the member for Chaffey and the member for Unley. I also want to give special thanks to Tammy Franks MLC from the Greens for being a driving force in the establishment of the committee that is looking into this exact issue. It is an important issue.

Over my journey, a number of people have come and spoken to me about the benefits they receive from medicinal cannabis. A very good and dear friend of mine is undertaking quite serious cancer treatment. It is prescribed as an appetite stimulant and it has been able to increase this person's appetite, which has then given them more weight gain and certainly made them stronger in their ability to withstand the chemotherapy, combined with pain relief.

Most prevalent in my mind is juvenile epilepsy and the number of parents who come into my office and make the observation that they are no expert in this field but that this works. It is the only drug that has reduced the number of seizures. It improves the quality of life for their children. It is extremely important, in my mind, and again I think there is a great opportunity for our state to lead in this field. With those words, I thank members who have made a contribution and I commend the motion to the house.

Motion carried.