A TAMWORTH medical marijuana advocate believes laws could be on the brink of a historic change following her meeting with NSW Premier Mike Baird this week.
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Lucy Haslam, who along with son Dan has been the face of a nationwide medical marijuana campaign, met with Mr Baird in her East Tamworth home on Tuesday night and emerged with renewed optimism.
“I’m more confident than ever we will get this across the line,” Mrs Haslam said.
“Things have taken a different twist and while I can’t say exactly how, it’s all very positive and even better than I had hoped for.”
The meeting has spurred hopes the state government, which just months ago was staunchly against marijuana as medicine, may take a formal position supporting Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson’s bill to allow the terminally ill to possess 15 grams or less of the drug.
Mrs Haslam, her husband Lou and son and daughter-in-law Dan and Alyce met with Mr Baird and Mr Anderson for more than an hour on Tuesday.
“It was an opportunity to touch base and what is driving us is that overall sense of compassion,” Mr Baird told The Leader.
“Compassion for Daniel, and not only Daniel’s circumstances, but the many across the state in similar circumstances.
“We are determined to get it right.
“We must deal with the issue of supply and we want to make sure whatever we bring forward is right.”
Mrs Haslam praised the Premier for his humane stance on the question of medical marijuana.
“He (Mr Baird) is the most human politician I’ve dealt with – he listens and understands, rather than just paying you lip service,” Mrs Haslam said.
“He told Dan, ‘this is all happening because of you’, which was lovely.”
The development caps off a remarkable four-month campaign for the Haslams, with the issue gaining national media attention and sparking a political landslide in a host of other states.
The Victorian Labor Opposition will take a medical marijuana policy to the November election, while Tasmania, Western Australia and the ACT parliaments are currently debating the issue.
Liberal backbencher Warren Entsch this week signalled his intention to lodge a private member’s bill on the issue in the federal parliament.