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The Portfolio Committee on Health (National Assembly) was informed on the 11 March 2015 on record by the Dept. of Health that there is already an existing structure in place for the legal use of Cannabis and Cannabinoidal Medicine via an application from a patient, motivated by his/her clinician to the Medicines Control Council under Section 22A (9)(i) and under Section 21, which enables the use of an unregistered drug under specific conditions with permission from the Director-General, and that ALL applications are processed.
The Chairman and Committee requested that this structure be made more widely available to the public, and more efficient in its application to current patients; that more, current data be provided with regard to palliative care and other treatments with Cannabinoidal medicines; and that specific research be conducted via current institutions as to the applications for Cannabis as medicine.
The Committee also proposed that they hear presentations from the MRC (Medical Research Council), the MCC (Medicines Control Council) and the CDA (Central Drug Authority) with regard to Cannabis and current Cannabis treatment options.
The South African Cannabis Community & Regulatory Association, intend to petition the Secretary of this Committee requesting the opportunity for Traditional Healers, Herbalists and other Alternate Therapy Clinicians to be given the opportunity to present current data, patient trials and therapeutic successes in Cannabis Treatment to the Committee; particularly with regard to cancer, but including epilepsy in children and other serious ailments.
This is a wonderful opportunity for us to really bring to light what this amazing plant can do in terms of assisting healing with very little beneficiation.
The Chairman noted that the Commercial and industrial benefits of Cannabis will be referred to other relevant Ministerial Committees for discussion as and when appropriate as they did not fall in the domain of the Health Committee.
SACCRA (South African Cannabis Community & Regulatory Association) is willing to campaign and lobby all relevant Committees and to propose and develop the Cannabis Control Bill 2015 into a viable Act, or to propose and lobby for the relevant changes to existing legislation to maximise access to the responsible use of and therefore the benefits of the Cannabis plant for all South Africans.
