The state government announced on Tuesday that through its Controlled Access Scheme, patients can be prescribed the drug by a specialist and supervised.

The scheme will be supported by $3.75 million to bolster a team of skilled specialists and support staff to undertake comprehensive assessment of patients who live with severe epilepsy and haven’t responded well to other medications.

Some money will go towards testing costs.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the first focus under the scheme was young people with resistance to traditional epilepsy medications.

“We don’t know at the moment how many people are likely to be prescribed with a medical cannabis product but we want it to be those who need it,” he said.

“Our Controlled Access Scheme provides a safe approach; it’s a balance between access to the product and managing the risks of a product that has a limited evidence base behind it.”

Epilepsy Tasmania chief executive Wendy Groot said there had needed to be more people at the end of the referral process for diagnosis and supervision procedures and this was seemingly achieved through the government’s scheme.

Premier Will Hodgman said the government had waited for advancements at a national level, including opportunities for medicinal cannabis to be legally cultivated in Tasmania, before pursuing the scheme.

But Greens’ primary industries spokeswoman Andrea Dawkins said the scheme should be open to more patients. 

“People suffering from the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, those with eating disorders, multiple sclerosis, chronic arthritis or terminal illnesses are currently being forced to break the law to access medicinal cannabis,” she said.

“There may also be real delays for those people trying to access the scheme, because of the lack of specialists. 

“The Greens have been contacted by a constituent who has a child eligible for the Controlled Access Scheme, and advised an appointment with a neurologist in Launceston would be a 12-month wait.”

Mr Ferguson said the government was in the process on consulting all general practitioners about the new scheme.