THE man leading the charge for medicinal cannabis on the Mid North Coast feels the only steps being taken are backwards.
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Tony Bower is the owner and operator of Mullaways Medical Cannabis Pty Ltd which is a federally registered company under Australian law.
Mullaways is the first medical cannabis company established and registered in Australia for the purpose of scientific research, cannabis education and the development and delivery of medicines derived from cannabis/cannabinoids for the management of chronic pain, nausea and appetite.
Mr Bower is extremely passionate about the cause, firmly believing that nothing but good can come of legalising medicinal cannabis.
Minister for Health Sussan Ley this week said the Commonwealth would now oversee all regulatory aspects of the cultivation of medical cannabis through one national scheme.
Australia will create a nationally-consistent licensing scheme regulating the controlled cultivation of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes that will streamline the process across the country. Ms Ley said this would remove the need for states and territories to implement legislation to set up individual cultivation schemes and ensure laws were consistent across the country for growers.
However Mr Bower is disappointed by recent announcement and believes that it is a way of "slowing things down."
"Federally it's a way of them trying to slow it up," he said.
"It's not going to change things a lot. Basically the federals want to have their finger in the pie somehow.
"They want to have the last say on the licensing. I can't see where that will change a lot of things other than slowing things up.
"We're going backwards after this last announcement. We've been in talks with other governments from other states and I really don't think we're going to move forward very quickly."
Mr Bower said it will take about a year or so to try and create a body to get the ball rolling. His way of operation won't change.
"Things aren't changing for me at all. We are still going through the process of applying for licenses and what not," he said. "It looks as though Queensland are going to do the same as Victoria and do their own trials. Hopefully we get some movement there and whether we first start in Victoria or Queensland just depends on the NSW government.
"It's stupid for us to lose this work in the area that we are at. Other states can see the common sense but in NSW they just aren't seeing it at all.
"If we can get into the trials and be treated the same as everyone else, that would be ideal for me."