By Carl Pfieffer
Territory Alliance has committed $6.5 million towards developing a medicinal cannabis industry in the Northern Territory if it is elected to government in August’s NT election.
Establishing a local horticulture industry in the Top End will generate hundreds of ongoing jobs for the Territory in the fields of construction, cultivation, production, research, education and export, according to leader Terry Mills.
If follows Territory Alliance’s Thursday announcement of plans to introduce legislation to regulate devices, flavours and nicotine used in e-cigarettes and tobacco for heating.
If elected, the party will allocate $5 million in seed funding for a medicinal cannabis industry in the NT and a further $1.5m for clinical trials.
“Our location has plenty of sunlight, land, water and we are also in a region … which has a demand for medicinal cannabis in the order of $8 million,” Mr Mills said.
“It provides us with a unique opportunity to capitalise on the legislation already in place by the Federal Government.”
Federal Parliament passed the Narcotic Drug Amendment Bill in 2016 which provides a legislative framework to permit cannabis cultivation in Australia for medicinal and related research purposes.
Fong Lim MLA Jeff Colllins, who has recently joined Territory Alliance, said there was a growing body of evidence that medicinal cannabis had the potential to alleviate the impact of severe conditions such as juvenile epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain and in a palliative care setting.
“Medicinal cannabis has been shown to provide therapeutic benefits … but patients have been unable to access it in the Northern Territory,” he said.
“Cost of the product is prohibitively high because we don’t have a local industry.
“I’ve had constituents in my office in tears because it’s costing them $3000 a month.”
A Territory medicinal cannabis industry will provide over 200 direct jobs and 800 more indirect, according to Territory Alliance.
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