Business View Oceania | July 2022

49 50 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 AUSTRAL I AN MEDI C INAL CANNAB I S ASSOC I AT ION operates via a set of core priorities: Inclusion, Collaboration, Tenacity, Advocacy, Information, and Connection. Membership is aimed at being accessible to all, and starts at Compassionate for patients, unemployed and low-income workers through to a range of higher levels aimed at all levels of industry, with the highest level being Platinum. Members enjoy a number of benefits depending on their membership level, including but not limited to AMCA events and interest groups, affiliation with a nationally recognised industry body, website listings, access to online and face-to-face events, and information, education, and resource distribution. AMCA’s first major project was to establish the Australian chapter of the International Society of Cannabis Clinicians (ISCC) in 2020, to provide a forum for healthcare professionals and researchers to connect, learn, and share for the betterment of the medicinal cannabis community. Board Directors Lucy Haslam (Co-founder/Chair) and Emily Rigby (Industry Member) share their valuable insight into the association’s projects, goals, and vision for the future. Ms. Haslam begins, “AMCA was founded in 2020, but our pioneers have been working tirelessly in the Australian medicinal cannabis space for many AMCA Ambassador, David Heilpern years. Following the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, those pioneers realised that patients would inevitably struggle to acquire appropriate and affordable access to their medicine, and that it was also going to be difficult for doctors to justify spending the extra time and resources necessary to jump through the hoops to prescribe medicinal cannabis.” Ms. Rigby continues, “We recognised right from the start that the diversity of our team and our members would be our biggest strength; our motto is ‘our strength is in our breadth’. There were a number of problems early on at prescription, regulatory, industry, and individual levels. There still is a high degree of burden placed on those who seek to cultivate or manufacture cannabis products in our country. And of course, there is always the ongoing stigma surrounding medicinal cannabis. To tackle that challenge, we brought into our group researchers, academics, and industry leaders. Our primary goals are to improve education and access for patients in the short, medium, and long term.” Ms. Haslam adds “We realise that this is a marathon, not a sprint and we are here for the long haul.” AMCA recognises that one of the biggest challenges for medicinal cannabis patients Industry Member, Emily Rigby Clinical Board Member, Tamara Chief Scientific Officer, Justin Company Secretary and Co-Founder, Dr. Teresa Nicoletti Chair and Co-Founder, Lucy Haslam