Vic makes medicinal cannabis legal

Victoria is the first state to make medicinal cannabis legal to people in exceptional circumstances after passing a historic bill in parliament.

Victoria is the first state to make medicinal cannabis legal to people in exceptional circumstances. (AAP)

Victorian patients and their families will be the first in Australia to safely, securely and lawfully have access to medicinal cannabis.

The state government passed the Access to Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2015 in parliament on Tuesday, giving patients legal access to the drug in exceptional circumstances.

Children with severe epilepsy will be given first access to the drug, grown and cultivated by the government, from early 2017.