PRIME Minister Tony Abbott is supporting the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

His support comes as the NSW government moves to change guidelines ordering police not to prosecute dying patients who are found possessing up to 15 grams of the drug.

Mr Abbott wrote to Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones in August stating that he had “no problem” with people using the drug for medicinal purposes.

Jones, who has campaigned for decriminalisation of cannabis use for terminally ill patients, read the letter on his radio program on Wednesday.

“I have no problem with the medical use of cannabis just as I have no problem with the medical use of opiates. I was under the impression that personal use of cannabis was no longer an offence in NSW,” Mr Abbott wrote.

The Prime Minister’s office last night confirmed he had written the letter.

Mr Abbott went further claiming he did not see a need to run a separate Australian clinical trial or registration process for medicinal cannabis.

ACCESS: Dying patients want medicinal cannabis

“My basic contention is that something that has been found to be safe in a reliable jurisdiction shouldn’t need to be tested again here,” he said in the letter.

“If a drug is needed for a valid medicinal purpose though, and is being administered safely, there should be no question of its legality. And if a drug that is proven to be safe abroad is needed here, it should be available,” he said in the letter.

Mr Abbott says this does not mean he condones cannabis being used as a recreational drug.

NSW Premier Mike Baird announced plans to forfeit the right to prosecute terminally ill people using cannabis on Tuesday along with a clinical trial that will test the drugs’ use in pain relief.

Under the scheme hospitals and chemists will supply cannabis for free to terminally ill patients.

The drug could be grown under strict conditions on behalf of the government and made into an oil or paste for medicinal use.

The change came after cancer patient Daniel Haslam, 24, and his family collected 20,000 signatures on a petition calling for the change.

Haslam, who has terminal bowel cancer, uses cannabis to ease his pain and stimulate his appetite.

Victoria’s parliament is also considering making it easier to conduct clinical trials for medical cannabis.

West Australian Health Minister Kim Hames has called for national trials.