The paper, an overview of medicinal cannabis, was obtained by Fairfax Media ahead of its publication, which was expected to be online sometime Tuesday morning.
Queensland is perfectly positioned to take advantage of a growing legal cannabis industry due to the legalisation of its …
Queensland is perfectly positioned to take advantage of a growing legal cannabis industry due to the legalisation of its medicinal use, the state government says.
The ideal growing region for cannabis, the paper states, was within 35 degrees of the equator, which took in all of Queensland.
“With the use of medicinal cannabis increasing worldwide, the medicinal cannabis market could represent new opportunities for the Queensland agriculture industry,” it says.
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“Queensland’s experience in growing industrial hemp may provide valuable lessons in the future.”
The paper states Queensland’s existing industrial hemp industry consisted of eight “tightly regulated” licensed growers, with more than 64 hectares of crop under cultivation.
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With the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, the state government saw an opportunity for the legal cannabis industry to grow.
And it could reap the state millions in revenue.
“Australia has proven experience in growing medicinal products,” the paper says.
“For example, Tasmania is licensed to grow poppies for the commercial production of alkaloid-based pharmaceuticals and is the largest producer of lawfully manufactured narcotic material in the world.
“Tasmania’s poppy industry is now worth about $290 million, with around 23,000 hectares of crop grown by 850 farmers.”
Medicinal cannabis was one of the United States’ fastest-growing markets, the paper states, with its value increasing from $1.5 billion in 2013 to $2.7 billion in 2014.
“Some estimates suggest that the US market will be worth $25 billion by 2020,” it says.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Monday that legislation to allow the use of medicinal cannabis would be introduced to Queensland Parliament in April, following a month of consultation.
Ms Palaszczuk said the legislation would be the “most progressive” in Australia.
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[“Source-brisbanetimes”]
