The Australian medical cannabis market is often held up as being one that is world leading or world's best, but I'm of the opinion that the continued opposition to home growing is damaging the sector itself, and more widely, the other many industries who took the leap of faith needed to support it.
The industry relies on patients, and now those very same patients who for years have been calling on their elected representatives to act on their behalf are told they're only allowed to buy the very expensive legal medical cannabis after visiting and paying a doctor.
This is a situation that leaves Australian patients paying some of the most expensive prices for cannabis in the world.
A situation that drives contempt for the sector who lobby to maintain the flawed piece of legislation that's keeping genuine patients from experiencing affordable relief.
Made worse by the advertorials that do nothing to mention the reality for patients who are forced, through no fault of their own, into a situation where they can get an ounce of medicine cheaper from the local plug than they can buy it from their doctor.
All I'm asking is for the sector to consider what if..
What if homegrow was legal?
What if patients were allowed to grow up to a dozen plants in their backyard?
Here's what I think would happen if the sector supported the right to patient homegrow.
The sector would be on the receiving end of publicity by the mainstream media.
All manner of media would be lining up to give free coverage to the companies that are publicly supporting patient homegrow because the story is newsworthy.
A company can care for patients and their investors at the same time by thinking about the bigger picture of market growth that will come through and with normalisation and market acceptance.
The actual volume of cannabis being grown a patient would be and should be of zero concern for any cannabis executive worth their salary.
After all, if a funded and licensed cannabis company can't grow better cannabis than Auntie Josie in her backyard, investors should really be worried.
I've previously called out the sector as being myopic and I stand by my words.
It is short sighted for anyone to think they can build a moat around their business by actively working against their own customers.
As much as the self appointed captains of Australian cannabis might want to think what a smart idea it is to piss in the well, it can only damage credibility and lower the potential for real growth and any opportunities for overall sector expansion.
The argument against homegrow relies on the perception of cannabis growing as being an illicit thing that only bad people do..
It is a nonsense and I haven't got the time or inclination to make this piece any longer than it needs to be with a history of the drug war. #ugh
Homegrow of cannabis is like the homegrow of roses.
It is fun and it is a source of income for those involved in all the other sectors that flow off the back of the rose flower buying customers, as would be the case with cannabis if it were similarly embraced.
The longer the sector maintains the anti homegrow narrative, the longer the sector will be devoid of any real champions or brands of lasting relevance.
The only way for the sector to be something useful is to act useful.
Help your patients. Help your investors. Help yourselves.
Be seen to support homegrow and be seen to help your own patients.
Make us respect what you have to say, by saying something worthy of gaining our respect as patients and ultimately, as the actual consumers of your products.
This shit isn't rocket science.