TASMANIA will still play a big role in establishing a medical marijuana industry in Australia, according to the head of the company planning trials on Norfolk Island.
Tascann managing director Troy Langman said while he was committed to establishing an industry on Norfolk Island, the company still wanted to set up in Tasmania.
"It definitely has a future for production of medicinal cannabis, because it has a climate suited to certain gene types of the plant," he said.
The company would continue to talk with the Norfolk Island Government, despite the administrator Gary Hargrave cancelling the conditional licence to grow and trial the product.
"The Norfolk Island Government is committed to working through the issues, with a view to reissuing a licence," Mr Langman said.
"We are keen to work with universities and research institutes, who wish to utilise our material for clinical studies, and have been approached by a number of universities who are keen to work with cannabinoids."
He said was only a matter of time before medicinal cannabis was approved for human use in Australia.
"The genie's out of the bottle; people just want relief," Mr Langman said.
He welcomed the decision by the Victorian Opposition to legalise cannabis oil to treat life threatening conditions, if it is elected in November.
"I am really pleased to see the continuing momentum, because it is an important issue," Mr Langman said.
The Norfolk Island Government expressed its disappointment with the cancellation of the Tascann licence.
"It is most regrettable that an economic initiative with the capacity to generate substantial income and employment for this community across time has needed to be put on hold," Community Services Minister Robin Adams said.
She said Norfolk Island would continue to work with the Commonwealth to achieve a "satisfactory outcome" that a further licence could be issued to Tascann.
Meanwhile, the national Country Women's Association has reiterated its support for medical marijuana, 11 years after it was first approved by the Tasmanian State conference.
National president Noela McLeod said the association had continued to lobby, but had received no government response.
"We are not asking to have it legalised for anyone and everybody, all we are asking for is for anyone with a chronic or terminal illness and that's not too much to ask," she said.
A government spokesman said it would respond to the recommendations of the Legislative Council inquiry, when it brought its report down.
