澳大利亞爲醫用大麻出口提供方便

Just one year after legalizing the use of medical marijuana, the Australian government will allow domestic growers to export their crops.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said Thursday the government wants Australia to enter the emerging global market for medical marijuana with the goal of becoming "the world's number one exporter of medicinal cannabis."

Several countries, including Canada and Israel, as well as more than half of the 50 U.S. states, have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal reasons, due to the growing acceptance of its therapeutic benefits, such as managing chronic pain. A U.S.-based research firm has forecast the global medical marijuana market will reach nearly $56 billion by 2025.

Hunt says allowing domestic farmers and producers of medicinal cannabis to export their products will ensure an robust supply of medicinal cannabis products for the Australian medical community.澳大利亞將醫用大麻合法化一年之後，將允許國內種植者出口他們生產的大麻。

澳大利亞衛生部長亨特星期四說，澳大利亞政府希望進入醫用大麻這個日益興起的全球市場，目標是成爲全世界頭號醫用大麻出口國。

加拿大和以色列等國家以及美國一半以上的州已經將醫用大麻合法化，原因是減輕長期疼痛等大麻的治療效果越來越廣泛地被接受。設在美國的一家研究公司曾預測，全球醫用大麻的市場價值到2025年時將達560億美元。

亨特說，允許澳大利亞國內醫用大麻生產者出口他們的產品將確保澳大利亞醫藥界能有穩定的醫用大麻供應。