Medicinal Cannabis Legal Symposium
Despite rapid advancements, legal risks are still present in the industry. Delve into the non-commercial impairments and hindrances that make this area a legal minefield. Gain international insights from a distinguished international lawyer and gain the necessary local legal updates from a stellar line-up of regulators, scientific and legal experts including insights into legislative updates and regulatory insights of medicinal cannabis in Australia & the obstacles to its widespread use. WEB215N05
Description
Attend and earn 3 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Chair: Geoff Bloom, Partner, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers; Recommended Health & Aged Care Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide 2020
2.00pm to 2.45pm INSIGHTS FROM THE REGULATOR: Regulatory Update from the Australian Department of Health
Hear an update on the latest regulatory developments that you need to be aware of regarding medicinal cannabis.
Presented by Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, Deputy Secretary for Health Products Regulation Department of Health
2.45pm to 3.30pm Medicolegal Update
Professor McGregor is at the forefront of medicinal cannabis legal issues and regularly appears pro-bono and as an expert-witness in a range of matters. He will share with you the latest updates in his rapidly developing field which are of pronounced importance to legal practitioners.
Presented by Professor Iain McGregor, Professor of Psychopharmacology and Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, University of Sydney
3.30pm to 3.45pm Afternoon Tea
3.45pm to 4.30pm Legislative and Other Developments in Medicinal Cannabis in Australia
- Quality standards for medicinal cannabis products: Is there a level playing field?
- The down scheduling of CBD: Has it improved access?
- The Narcotic Drugs Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2021: What does it achieve?
- The McMillan Review: How many of the recommendations have been implemented?
Presented by Dr Teresa Nicoletti, Partner, Mills Oakley
4.30pm to 5.15pm Drug Driving Detection Laws: a Legal Barrier to a Viable Industry
- Current legislative schemes, rates of testing and outcomes
- How to argue with those who support these laws
- Predicted outcome of legislative inertia
- Overseas and local developments
- What can be done?
Presented by David Heilpern, Former NSW Magistrate
Presenters
Geoff Bloom
Geoff Bloom is a partner in the Sydney office of HWL Ebsworth. He provides commercial and regulatory advice to the health and life sciences industries. He also specialises in privacy. Within Geoff's life sciences practice, he has assisted many medicinal cannabis and hemp businesses navigate the complex regulatory issues governing this area, including preparing opinions for prospectuses, and developing agreements for industry that address those regulatory issues. Geoff has been named in Best Lawyers Australia for many years in Life Sciences, Health and Aged Care, and Privacy and Data Protection.
Adjunct Professor John Skerritt
John heads the Health Products Regulation Group, which works to safeguard and enhance the health of all Australians through effective, timely and risk proportionate regulation of therapeutic goods and control of drug import, export and production. He was formerly a Deputy Secretary in the Victorian Government and has extensive experience in medical, agricultural and environmental policy, regulation, research management, technology application and commercialisation. John was previously the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of a Commonwealth Statutory Authority, a Ministerial appointee on the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee and Chair of the Board of a major international technical organisation. During the 1990s he held senior management positions in The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and Cooperative Research Centres.
David Heilpern
David was appointed as a Magistrate in 1998, and was at the time the youngest magistrate in Australia. He ‘retired’ in May 2020. He sat in the criminal, mining, family, industrial, coronial and children’s jurisdictions of the Local Court, and was the Senior Civil Magistrate for five years. During his time on the bench, David was the principal educator for new magistrates throughout Australia and the Pacific and made several important reported decisions on criminal, environmental and evidence law. Prior to his appointment, David was a litigation lawyer on the North Coast where he co-founded the law school at Southern Cross University, rising to becoming the Acting Dean in 1996.
Dr Teresa Nicoletti
Dr Teresa Nicoletti is both a lawyer and PhD-qualified scientist with 25 years' experience in the health and life sciences sector. She has gained particular prominence in Australia as the leading lawyer in the regulation of medicinal cannabis (Federal and State). Teresa's practice provides broad advice to clients across their businesses, and draws on her unique mix of commercial, regulatory, scientific and legal expertise to obtain the best outcomes for her clients. She represents clients regularly in dealings with the TGA, State and Territory health and food authorities, the APVMA, ACCC, HCCC, medical and pharmacy boards, AHPRA, VCAT and NCAT.
Professor Iain McGregor
Iain McGregor is Professor of Psychopharmacology, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics in the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Iain's historical research has focused on the effects of drugs on the brain and behaviour and more recently on the discovery and development of new medications for the treatment of disease. His research spans medicinal chemistry, in silico pharmacology, the use of cellular assays and preclinical animal models of disease, and also clinical trials.
Iain has a strong interest in the area of medicinal cannabis with more than 20 years of experience in cannabinoid research.