Canberra's community has been invited to have a say about medical marijuana, as the ACT Government considers a bill to legalise its use.

Canberrans have until mid-February to put forward their views on proposals to legalise cannabis for medical use.

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An ACT Legislative Assembly committee is considering draft legislation and a discussion paper from Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury.

The laws would allow terminally and chronically ill people to grow cannabis and use it as part of their treatment.

The ABC visited Garema Place in Canberra's CBD and put the word out on Twitter, to find out what Canberrans thought about the issue.

Mani Venugopal, of Bonner, said he was against any form of cannabis being legalised.

"No not at all. I believe it causes quite a few mental sort of issues such as schizophrenia and I'm totally against the legalisation of cannabis," he said.

'Proper controls needed' if cannabis is used in medicine

Tayna Mckay, 34, of Canberra city, said he was also against it unless it its sale had benefits for the economy.

Mani Venugopal, of Bonner. ( ABC News: Tegan Osborne )

"If it was just for me I'd say yes, because I've got a bad back and it would probably help," he said.

"But I say no because it will only open the door for more things. What's next, they want to legalise medical meth or heroin? I think no, definitely don't legalise it, unless it's better for the economy."

Paul Hlawatsch, 40, who lives in Civic, said it was a useful drug for medical purposes as long as there are proper controls.

"Yeah I think so, because it's a pain killer and it's such a useful item. As long as it's restricted properly," he said.

"I've been living on the streets for years and every morning I despise seeing kids in my stairwell looking for marijuana. If it's going to help in any way it would probably be good."

Christine Dobbin, 73, of Hackett. ( ABC News: Tegan Osborne )

Christine Dobbin, 73, of Hackett, said it was the only way some people with cancer could relieve the pain.

"I am supportive of legalising cannabis because some people, they've no other way to relieve their pain. I think it's a good way to relieve the pain of some people who've got chronic pain," she said.

But Julia Wright, 42, also from Hackett, said it was a complex issue.

"Some of the worries would be that it could lead to the commercialisation of the sale of marijuana... still for medical purposes but never the less for profit, and that's a real issue," she said.

"But certainly the role that it plays in alleviating nausea and people's general suffering, particularly I know with cancer sufferers, I think that it can only help."

Other Canberran said watching family members suffer with chronic pain had informed their views on the topic.

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Noel Madden, 70, of Ngnunnawal said he fully supported cannabis for medical use for this reason.

"Having seen people who have died in my lifetime, older generations of my family, some of them in pain and suffering," he said.

"Anything that can assist them once you're terminal, I believe you should be able to use it freely, openly,"

Amanda Hendy, 52, of McKellar spoke of similar experiences.

"I've had a sister die of cancer, so I can see the medicinal purpose of it," she said,.

Ms Hendy said in terms of broader use, she had teenage sons and was fearful of side affects like schizophrenia.

Ciaran Hannigan-Purcell, 19, of Rivett. ( ABC News: Tegan Osborne )

"I think that's why its difficult. But certainly as pain relief, yes," she said.

Ciaran Hannigan-Purcell, 19, of Rivett, also agreed that using cannabis for pain relief should be legal.

"I'm all for it. It's for medical use so it can only help people at the end of the day.

I haven't looked that much into it but its never really seemed like something that's that harmful and if it can be used for the benefit of medicine then I just don't see a reason to block that," he said.