UPDATED 12 February 2019
Melbourne
Loren W

12 Feb 2019

Fiona Patten confirmed this am that her Cannabis bill is still at least MONTHS away, so hopefully we will see it in 2019. She has tabled the concept of a Bill but there is no bill as of yet or 2nfd reading planned. Her office confirmed there is no bill to see. She told right wing radio, 3AW she needs to consult with the other parties before she proceed.

Currently there are 40 seats in parliament in Victoria 29 against Cannabis use between Labor and Liberals and 11 crossbenchers.

I believe her decision is wise as at best she would lose at best 29-11 if a bill vote was held today.

UPDATED – Greens and Labor supported Cannabis bill has been delayed in ACT that was due to get debated in ACT this week and next week.

All attention now is back on NSW, prior to the NSW election at the end of March (23).

Original Story – Below is the interview from the morons at 3AW – I think Fiona Patten did ok, classy as always, but got slammed needlessly. Later in the day she is on record speaking in Parliament on the USA hemp bill, pharma cannabis, (see below) and how so many are excited about this new pharma industry in Victoria, She then did this interview on Cannabis, got slammed left to present her exciting new Cannabis bill, but never showed according to Parliament staff so never presented her bill, perhaps Feb at the earliest they say there is no date yet. – Calls and emails to her office have gone unanswered.

Fiona Interview – AUDIO – She mentioned the Greens bill so I assume she will be supporting it in Victoria she spoke to colleges in the Senate about pharma Cannabis & hemp ( see Hansards) – but did NOT present her bill.

She did his interview left to go do the bill never showed up to present her bill so now pushed of til at least til February but there is no date (per sources at parliament and per this interview)

UPDATED: Sources say the bill discussion was really ceremonial and with only 1 seat her party will only get 2 likely private members bill resenting (tabling) in 2019 – It is expected her bill might not appear then til mid 2019.

 “Before a single new member will have made their inaugural speech, Ms Patten will introduce a Bill to legalise cannabis in Victoria.” – The legislation, called the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Cannabis Regulation) Bill 2018, – Fiona Pattten 

https://clyp.it/lkkthob4/widget

Updated this is what she did say on the day –

FIONA PATTEN – HANSARDS VICTORIA 19 DECEMBER 2018

Hansards

CANNABIDIOL 

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:35): Thank you, President, and congratulations.

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture,

Ms Symes, and congratulations to you too. The farm bill, which recently passed in the US, removed cannabidiol, better known as CBD, extracted from hemp plants from their controlled substances act. CBD is not psychoactive and its safety profile shows that it is safer than existing complementary medicines like St John’s wart. Research has shown that CBD can relieve pain, reduce anxiety and depression amongst other things. Given this product can be derived from low-THC strains with industrial hemp licences that are issued by Agriculture Victoria, what steps is the minister taking to open up the CBD industry to Victorian farmers just like they have in the US?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for

Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture,

Minister for Resources) (16:35): Thank you, Ms Patten, for your question; it is much welcomed. It is great to be here as the Minister for Agriculture. I also extend a welcome to everyone in the house, particularly those new members and particularly the two from north-east Victoria; they are very much welcomed.

I want to start with re-affirming my commitment to the medical cannabis industry here in Victoria. We have been nation leaders in this approach. We are really committed to the first locally produced medical cannabis industry. We have adapted our approach to continue to deliver on our commitment to account for new commonwealth legislation, which has been a bit complex because it has been a rapidly changing policy environment. We are cultivating an industry that can supply reliable and high quality medical cannabis products to patients. Our medical cannabis industry development plan is positioning Victoria as Australia’s medical cannabis hub. There have been some developments with the Cann Group obtaining the first commercial licence to cultivate medical cannabis in Australia and establish its research and development and manufacturing operations in Victoria. In June 2018 the Cann Group announced an investment of $100 million for a facility at Melbourne Airport, creating 170 jobs.

The Labor government has also entered a research partnership with Canadian company Canopy Growth Corporation, supporting industry innovation. Canopy Growth is now basing its Asia-Pacific headquarters right here in Victoria, creating more than 200 jobs. Based on modelling undertaken by KPMG, Victoria’s new medical cannabis industry could create 500 new jobs and make an economic contribution of $90 million per year by 2028.

In relation to the industrial hemp industry, this is an industry that Agriculture Victoria does provide licences for. In relation to how the by-products of the industrial hemp industry can be greater used, a lot of this is to do with the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act, and the licensing has to give consideration to those provisions. As agriculture minister I am always interested in new and emerging industries, and I am very happy to talk to you about these matters, but they are quite complex when we are talking about the legality of what can be extracted from the hemp plant. Thank you for your question.

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:38): Thank you, Minister. I look forward to talking with you more about this issue as the term goes on. In 2017 the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code was amended to permit low-THC hemp-hulled seeds to be sold to us as an ingredient in food. So I ask the minister: what steps will she take to lobby for the inclusion of CBD in the same category, accepting her point that CBD is currently controlled under other legislation?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for

Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture,

Minister for Resources) (16:38): Thank you, Ms Patten. I can just reiterate that I am certainly open to having conversations with you and other ministers on issues relating to this particular topic.