Australia - Maverick LNP MP Jason Woodforth calls on fellow MPS to keep open mid on medicinal cannabis trial

SARAH  VOGLER

• THE COURIER-MAIL

MAVERICK LNP backbencher Jason Woodforth will call on his parliamentary colleagues to "open their minds" and allow a medicinal cannabis trial in Queensland.
The Nudgee MP, who famously lobbied the party room to rid the state's water supplies of fluoride said he would use the first party room meeting back, expected to be held on February 10, to put his case,
"I will be lobbying for a trial," Mr Woodforth said. "It's time we opened up our minds and listened and did something about it."
Mr Woodforth said he was moved to take a stand after reading the story of epileptic eight-year-old Tara O'Connell's recovery in The Sunday Mail.
Doctors had told Tara's family she would be lucky to make it to the age of nine but her mother Cheri said her health improved dramatically after Tara was treated with medicinal cannabis sourced from Nimbin.
The family is now treating Tara's older brother Sean's epilepsy using the liquid from of medicinal cannabis as well.
Mr Woodforth said he not advocating to legalise cannabis but rather to trial the use of a medicinal version like the one used by the O'Connell family.
"What I wasn't aware of ... is that there's two types of cannabis. There's the medicinal and there's the bit that gets you high," he said.
"The people who know about it don't want the high. They want the medicinal because they know what it does.
"Let's explore this."

Mr Woodforth said he was incensed the Federal Health Department had issued a response highlighting the illegality of cannabis rather than one saying they would investigate Tara O'Connell's recovery further.....

Why maverick? Wish there were more like him.