Medicinal cannabis crops planted in secret in Victoria
A planted tray at the lab in a top secret Victorian location. MEDICINAL cannabis has received $28.5 million from the State Government to fund the production in Victoria. The multi-million injection will help establish the Office of Medicinal Cannabis and an Independent Medical Advisory Committee to make sure seriously ill kids can access the product by early 2017. The announcement comes after Victoria’s first cannabis seedlings were planted in a top secret location in Victoria. Premier Daniel Andrews said he was proud to be making the historic announcement. “We promised families that their children would be able to access this life-changing treatment as early as next year, and we’re getting it done,’’ he said. “Never again will families have to make the heartbreaking choice between watching their children suffer and breaking the law.” The money will be awarded in the 2016/17 budget and will include manufacturing and developing the product along with funds for research grants to build an evidence base for medicinal cannabis Under the trial, dozens of plants will be grown indoors at an undisclosed research location during the state-sanctioned trial, which is likely to include CCTV monitoring and high-level security checks.
The glasshouse set up at the Victorian Government’s lab to grow medicinal cannabis. A larger commercial manufacturing scheme will be set up next year, at which point the police chief commissioner will have power to veto licence applications, and rigorous security systems will be in place to ensure the sites are not infiltrated by criminals. Each seed will be tracked throughout the process in the glasshouse setup. “I’m proud that we are getting it done,” Premier Daniel Andrews said. “No parent should ever have to choose between breaking the law and watching their child suffer.” Agriculture minister Jaala Pulford welcomed the news. “We said we would make medicinal cannabis available from early 2017 and that’s exactly what we’ll do,” she said. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/medicinal-cannabis-crops-planted-in-victoria/news-story/8b5a0223fb2b6c72f733f7d055797bf6
