GPS, LAW BACK MARIJUANA RETHINK

LEGAL and doctors' groups joined forces yesterday to call for the
legalisation of prescription marijuana for people with severe medical
conditions.

The NSW Government indicated yesterday it would not immediately rule out
any move that would decriminalise marijuana for medical use.

Marijuana would have to be grown legally to support any such move, the
convenor of the Australian Committee for Medical Cannabis, Timothy Moore,
said.

The NSW Law Society and the Australian Medical Association said cannabis
for medical use had been legalised in parts of the US and there was no
reason this should not happen in Australia. Most State law societies and
AMA branches were supporting the move.

It is believed up to 10 per cent of AIDS patients already use marijuana to
help keep up body weight and maintain food intake.

NSW AMA president Kerryn Phelps said many doctors already encouraged
patients who used marijuana to relieve their symptoms to continue using the
drug.

"Common sense dictates that we already have enough evidence for this," Dr
Phelps said.

"We think there should be exemptions for such people immediately. If
marijuana doesn't work for them, they won't use it, and if it has some side
effects they won't continue using it.

"As far as I can see, legalising prescription marijuana is a win win
situation."

An HIV-positive person and a leukemia sufferer both expressed their need
for the drug yesterday.

Wollongong HIV support group spokesman David Wain said he had been viewed
as "a criminal" for most of his life for being gay, and now he was another
type of criminal for using marijuana to help him through his HIV condition.

Mr Wain, 51, said he "could not have survived without cannabis".

"This is not an easy thing for me to come out to and talk about, I have a
son and family, but like my sexuality I don't think I am breaking the law
by smoking marijuana."

Leukemia sufferer Paul Deconning said without marijuana he could not have
eaten three meals a day after going through chemotherapy treatment.

NSW Law Society president Margaret Hole said she could see no reason why
the law could not be changed to exempt people who needed marijuana for
their conditions.

"Drug use and abuse is primarily a health and social issue not a criminal
one and it should be addressed as such," Ms Hole said.

NSW Attorney-General Jeff Shaw said he would consider the proposal.

Mr Moore said he believed if the move was approved, there would have to be
legal marijuana crop plantations set up to support the service.