Question Without Notice No. 34 asked in the Legislative Council on 14 March 2018 by Hon Aaron Stonehouse
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
MEDICAL CANNABIS — CANNABIS-BASED PRODUCTS ASSESSMENT PANEL
34. Hon AARON STONEHOUSE to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I note that earlier this month, the New South Wales government dramatically reduced the red tape involved in the prescription of medicinal cannabis in that jurisdiction by handing control of its program to the federal government, thus making it a single-stage process.
(1) How many applications have been received by the Western Australian Department of Health's Cannabis-Based Products Assessment Panel since its establishment?
(2) How many of those applications have been approved by the panel; how many have been denied by the panel; and how many are pending a decision by the panel?
(3) What, if anything, is this government doing to reduce red tape and make medicinal cannabis simpler to access for patients?
(4) Will the government consider following the lead of New South Wales and wipe out duplication overnight by introducing a streamlined, one-stop process here in Western Australia?
Hon ALANNA CLOHESY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
I am advised as follows.
(1) As at 14 March 2018, the number is 42 applications, for 35 patients.
(2) The Cannabis-Based Products Assessment Panel has recommended approval for 22 patients and declined applications for two patients; applications for three patients have been withdrawn; and applications for eight patients are pending a decision. Of those applications pending a decision, the panel is seeking further information in three cases and will assess five cases at the scheduled meeting on 16 March 2018.
(3)–(4) The Department of Health is in discussion with the Therapeutic Goods Administration to develop an online form that could be used as a single application process to prescribe cannabis-based products.