Nominations have opened for the Dan Haslam Memorial Award, a new honour recognising outstanding contributions to Australia’s medicinal cannabis sector through integrity, service, ethics and compassion.
The creation of the award was announced at the 2025 United in Compassion (UIC) Symposium by Dan’s mother, Lucy.
The inaugural recipient is scheduled to be named at next month’s AMCA UIC conference in Brisbane.
The award honours the life and legacy of Dan, whose story triggered a shift in national attitudes and contributed to legislative reform around medicinal cannabis access.
In announcing the award to its members, the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Association (AMCA) and Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia (MCIA) said Haslam’s personal experience helped galvanise public and political momentum around compassionate care.
“Diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer at just 20 years of age, Dan Haslam became a powerful advocate for medicinal cannabis after using it to manage the side effects of chemotherapy,” the organisations said.
“His public campaigning helped galvanise national conversation and political reform. This award serves as both a tribute to Dan’s legacy and a call to continue advancing compassionate, evidence-based healthcare.
“The award recognises individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to advancing medicinal cannabis in Australia, including through research, advocacy, patient support, education, product development or policy reform.
“It is intended to become a highly respected and sought-after recognition within the sector.”
Nominations close on 11 February 2026, with self-nominations strongly discouraged.
UIC takes place at Brisbane’s Royal International Convention Centre on February 26, 27 and 28.
Cannabiz members can access a 15% discount on standard tickets using the code CANNABIZ2026 while function-only tickets are available with the code CANNABIZFUNC.
Both codes are case sensitive and must be entered capitalised at the time of booking.
Tickets and more information can be accessed here. Ticket sales close on January 31, 2026.