Australia’s first medicinal cannabis clinic set to open

The first of 10 medical cannabis clinics to be launched in Melbourne will open later this year with approval from the state and federal government. 

New legislation allows doctors to prescribe cannabis treatments which will be available to adults and children, Herald Sun reported. 

CannaLife founder Helen Lyon predicts the number of patients, who will be approved to legally use medical marijuana, is expected to grow significantly with the opening of the clinic in 2016. 

New legislation allows for treatments to be offered to adults and children (stock picture)

‘For the specific needs where the traditional treatments haven’t worked, we will liaise with their general practitioner and make a destination to make medicinal cannabis more accessible,’ Ms Lyon told Newscorp. 

‘The government has done a fantastic job to legalise medicinal cannabis and finally has a system in place, but we have less than 600 people so far who have been treated.

Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy said she supports the move to legalise medical cannabis and the opportunity to help improve the lives of Australians.

‘Now that the regulatory environment is settled we’re seeing the medical community embrace prescribing medicinal cannabis for suitable patients and conditions,’ she said.  

The Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy (pictured) supports the move to legalise medical cannabis

Ms Lyon explained the missing link has been patient access to medical cannabis, despite estimated 100,00 people in the country using the drug illegally.

Doctors working at CannaLife will have to responsibly determine if a patient is suitable for medical marijuana treatments under Australian Federal regulations. 

The privately funded Australian company is expected to go public on the Australian Stock Exchange later in the year.

CannaLife founder Helen Lyon predicts the number of approved patients to grow (stock picture)