Tamworth Regional Council has jumped on the drug wagon – pitching itself as a natural place to become part of the lucrative medical cannabis industry.
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And there’s every reason to back them in this bid, a potential stake tapping into an industry that some have predicted could be a $150 million a year industry.
Last week, the council took the first proactive step to seize the moment.
The then acting mayor Russell Webb in a strategic minute to the regular council meeting, suggested they write to NSW Premier Mike Baird, advising him of TRC’s strong support for the industry, including the cultivation, processing and manufacturing of medicinal cannabis.
Cr Webb said the region should take advantage of the government’s recent decision to legalise the cultivation of medical cannabis.
“Tamworth should be in the front line to be considered for cultivation, and we should also be at the front of the queue for the establishment of a processing facility, to process the raw product into forms that can be used for medical use,” Cr Webb said.
“The best way for us, as a community, to take that forward is to let the government know that, as a community and a council, we are standing steadfast behind that project.”
Cr Webb said they had strong support from a number of quarters, including a department with a local base to do research and development at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute at Calala.
The council said that establishing a medical cannabis industry was an “important long-term opportunity” for Tamworth and the region.
The cultivation of medicinal varieties of cannabis were well suited to our climate and the fertile soils in our region, and provided significant opportunity for the agricultural industry, it said.
Given our very personal and local link to the medical cannabis debate and the development of the campaign to where it is today, it seems only logical, right and a perfect and appropriate legacy for Dan Haslam that Tamworth does carry on the flag for that fight.
Medicinal cannabis campaigner, and mum, Lucy Haslam, has been looking to set up a farm to grow cannabis in the Tamworth region, after legislation to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes passed the Federal Parliament last month.
Lucy and Lou Haslam’s son Dan died from cancer, but not before an heroic and heartbreaking campaign after he sought relief from cancer treatment through medicinal cannabis use.
So that’s some more of the argument that council has for pushing Tamworth to become a cannabis commercial capital.
