Victoria is set to become the first state in Australia to legalise marijuana cultivation to treat serious medical conditions including cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and chronic pain.
But the push - underpinned by a landmark report by the Victorian Law Reform Commission - hinges on the agreement of the Turnbull government, which is a signatory to international rules covering the cultivation and manufacture of cannabis.
As revealed in The Age last month, a landmark study by the commission recommends a strictly controlled licensing scheme to produce medicinal cannabis, similar to the system for growing poppies.
Under the report's 42 recommendations - almost all of which will be adopted in full by the Andrews government - licensed cultivators and manufacturers will be able to produce a range of cannabis products, including oils, tinctures, capsules, sprays and vaporisable liquids.
These products will be sold at pharmacies, but only when authorised by a specialist doctor in a manner similar to the methadone program.
