The CWA Speaks Out:

Amazing. This is not the first time the Country Womens Association has spoken on this issue. In 2003 the Tasmanian branch came to a similar conclusion. Three years later, the National Executive agrees.

If only "economic rationalist" government ideology did not stand in the way.

Pubdate: Thursday, 31 August, 2006

The National Conference of the Country Women's Association (CWA) has voted in favour of a resolution supporting the medical use of marijuana for pain relief.
In a decision that may be unsettling to conservative parties, the CWA national executive voted in Darwin 11 days ago to lobby for cannabis to be tested as a treatment for chronic pain, nausea, and appetite loss.
Members spoke of relatives seeking relief from the side-effects of cancer treatment and chronic illness.
President-elect Leslie Young says the CWA now supports a trial to determine whether cannabis can ease their pain.
"We will be approaching the federal and state ministers to consider the legalisation of cannabis for medical purposes for the terminally and chronically ill," she said.
Ms Young, a trained nurse who runs a vegetable and livestock farm with her husband and 28-year-old son at East Sassafras near Devonport, does not believe the move puts the CWA in conflict with its traditionally conservative members.
"We don't look at those things; we're just concerned with the issues important to our members. I'm not aware of other groups pushing this," she said. "Our members have taken the position that anything that helps relieve pain and chronic illness should be made available."

Queensland Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce was willing to consider the option.
"If it was virtually anyone else I'd say 'no way', but I've always respected them for having their heads screwed on," Senator Joyce said. "So if they came out and said something, you'd have to have a look at it."
The Australian Medical Association spokeswoman Choong-Siew Yong could only say "the AMA don't have an official position on this, but I think most doctors would be OK with further research".

The CWA has not been known for taking on national political causes. Ms Young denied the CWA was becoming radicalised, but said political advocacy was important.
"The knitting and cooking are still important because of the companionship and skills that are passed down, but there's a mighty lot of youngies in it. Queensland has a large younger set."

Pubdate: Sun, 07 Sep 2003
Source: Mercury, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2003 News Limited
Contact: mercuryedletter@trump.net.au
Website: http://www.themercury.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/193
Author: Danielle Wood

SINCE Tasmania's Country Women's Association voted unanimously to lobby for the trial use of marijuana for medical relief, Ailsa Bond's popular cheese and parsley scones have been the subject of many a joke.

"People joke that the parsley flakes could be replaced with other green flakes!" she says.

The move from the CWA to get the drug approved for medical use surprised many, but the sprightly 80-year-old responds that the organisation has always been progressive."We've been raising social issues for 60 or 70 years," she said. "We've talked about the value of water, the importance of trees, we've lobbied for childcare centres, for roads, for hospitals and libraries.

"We've got an image that all we do is have tea and scones, but we've always been outspoken.

"It's just that we haven't always been recognised for what we've done."

Even so, Mrs Bond said she was surprised to see her motion passed unanimously.She hadn't bargained on the strong support of several members who had nursed terminally ill partners and witnessed their pain.

One of the women to address the meeting was Ruth (not her real name) whose husband died from cancer.

She later told the Sunday Tasmanian of her agony as her husband became so fragile that he broke a rib just reaching over to turn off a radio, and suffering pain so terrible it made him cry.

"To him, morphine was a poison," she said. "It made him so dreadfully ill, he couldn't keep food down. He wasted away to just 48kg.

"The doctors tried so many other pain-killers and every anti-nausea drug but nothing worked.

"It wasn't just the pain, it was the indignity."

Ruth read of overseas studies about the use of marijuana for pain relief and thought it might be just the thing as it was reported to have anti-nausea properties. But her doctor said he couldn't prescribe it.

"I read that smoking it was the most effective way. People think 'smoking - -- yuck!' but when someone is near death you're hardly going to worry about them getting lung cancer, are you?" she said.

"Of course, it might not have helped my husband -- but it may have done. What harm could there be in trying it?

"I feel very strongly about this. People don't realise the absolute horror of watching someone you love in so much pain."

Mrs Bond recalls prescribing a liquid tincture of marijuana in her early days of pharmacy in the 1940s, before concerns grew about its recreational use.

"Methadone can be controlled as a treatment for heroin addicts, so why couldn't cannabis be controlled too?" she said.

Another CWA member was disappointed to read in The Mercury this week that the State Government had responded that it had no plans to legalise medicinal use of cannabis. The woman, who is nursing a husband with war-related health problems, wants Tasmanian laws to mirror those of South Australia and the ACT where growing plants for personal use is tolerated.

"You just can't imagine the sense of hopelessness when someone is suffering like this and something that might help is beyond your reach," she said.

Below is a copy of the Resolution passed at the CWA National Conference in Darwin in August 2006 and forwarded to the Hon. Tony Abbott MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, Canberra.

"The Country Women's Association of Australia requests the Federal Government to consider the legislation of cannabis for medical purposes, for the relief of pain in the terminally and chronically ill."

Recently Canadian legislators included the legal provision for the growing and use of cannabis for chronic illnesses. This landmark decision is the first in the world and could sway other nations into reviewing the use of cannabis for pain and relief. Possessing, growing and using cannabis is still a crime in Canada but patients whose doctors write a certificate saying they need it for medical reasons, will be allowed to grow and use cannabis without the fear of prosecution.

Scientific data indicates the potential therapeutic value of the cannabinoid THC, for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting and appetite stimulation. Except for the harms associated with smoking the adverse affects of marijuana use are within the range tolerated for other medications. Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications including pain relief - particularly neuropathic pain associated with cancer, arthritis, spinal cord damage and spasticity, nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders and hypertension and as a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV-AIDS and wasting syndromes, dementia and multiple sclerosis. Cannabinoids may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors and provide protection (MS).

In May 2003, the NSW Premier Bob Carr announced a four-year trial scheme of the medicinal use of cannabis - the first in Australia. Mr Carr described the scheme as "compassionate" - aimed at easing the human suffering which had come to the attention of the working party on cannabis he had established in 2000 and that governments had an obligation to explore all avenues available to relieve human pain and suffering.

The announcement follows pressure from medical groups citing overseas studies supporting the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in the alleviation of chronic pain, nausea and as an appetite stimulant. The prescription of cannabis for the following medical conditions would be trialled: wasting due to cancer and HIV-AIDS: nausea caused by chemotherapy: severe or chonic pain and muscle spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.

We recomend this resolution to you."


Regards

Elaine Youd
National Secretary
Country Women's Association of Australia
178 Parker Street
DEVONPORT Tas 7310
Phone/Fax 03 64 24 1337