Thursday, 19 February 2026

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:29): (2341) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Agriculture, and the action I seek is for the minister to advocate for more supports for the medicinal cannabis industry in Victoria. Per the Victorian medicinal cannabis industry development plan the Victorian government aimed to create a medicinal cannabis industry that could supply half of Australia’s market for medicinal cannabis by 2028. This aim recognised that supporting this industry would result in high-value job creation, a high domestic market share and a potential international market. It also recognised how life changing access to medicinal cannabis is for so many. At the time of the plan’s creation it noted that if Victoria’s producers could meet the need for 83,000 Australian patients and expand into export markets, the industry’s economic contribution to the state could reach $90 million per year.

Since the development of this plan the medicinal cannabis market has boomed, as has the economic contribution of the industry to our state. Further opportunities to support medicinal cannabis producers can help to ensure that Victoria continues to be a leader in the medicinal cannabis industry space, particularly for small to medium businesses trying to establish themselves in the market. I recently had the pleasure of visiting one of the medicinal cannabis farms in Victoria. They told us about the challenges their industry faces and asked for greater state-based support and grants. At present the Department of Health’s ‘Medicinal cannabis information for business and industry’ page does not include a section dealing with investment in Melbourne and in Victoria. However, a link on this page takes you to a ‘Page not found’ section of the Invest Victoria website and a link to Business Victoria shows limited suitable programs. Victoria is a safe and responsible supplier of medicinal cannabis, but we can do better to support small to medium businesses in this industry. So I ask: will the minister commit to funding more supports for the medicinal cannabis industry in Victoria?