GREEN MP FIGHTS FOR MEDICINAL CANNABIS SMOKING

Green MP Nandor Tanczos says the Government should make an urgent law
change to allow sick people to use cannabis as a medicine.

But Health Minister Annette King says the Government wants to wait for
the results of overseas clinical trials looking at the effectiveness
of active ingredients of cannabis, known as cannabinoids.

She would not consider allowing people to smoke cannabis for pain
relief and other conditions because the quality of the drug and its
dosage could not be controlled.

"I'm not unsympathetic to using cannabis in a medicinal form. But
that's different to saying we should let everybody smoke it."

Mrs King said patients could ask their doctors to apply to New
Zealand's medicines regulatory body, Medsafe, for permission to obtain
overseas-made cannabinoids.

There were two synthetic medicines on the market - Dronabinol
(Marinol) for nausea related to cancer treatment, and Nabilone for
controlling nausea and pain suffered by terminally ill patients.

But Mr Tanczos said different cannabinoids had different effects on a
variety of medical conditions.

"A synthetic THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] pharmaceutical doesn't
necessarily work as effectively as herbal cannabis," he said.

Mr Tanczos said evidence presented to a select committee looking into
the legal status of the drug and ways to minimise harm associated with
its use had demonstrated an urgent need for law reform.

He said the change should allow the use of cannabis by sick people as
long as they had a doctor's support.

"I am grieved by the situation of people in genuine pain who just want
to use the best medicine to improve their quality of life.

"The previous Government let them down. I'm asking this Government not
to do the same."

The select committee yesterday heard from Levin man Barry Stone, who
was seriously injured when he was knocked off his motorbike in a 1993
accident.

He suffered head and chest injuries and a broken arm. His arm was
amputated two years later.

The 37-year-old said he tried prescription drugs to help ease the
pain, but they made him sleepy and ill.

His doctor suggested that he try cannabis but in 1999 he was raided by
police, and ended up with an 18-month suspended sentence for growing
three cannabis plants.

Mr Tanczos said there were more cases like Mr Stone's coming to light
as doctors suggested cannabis for people with conditions like glaucoma
and multiple sclerosis.

Mrs King said while cannabis was said to be less damaging than
cigarettes or alcohol, it was also known to cause respiratory problems
and cancer.

"What they are asking me to do I think is enable people to smoke
cannabis. But none of the trials in Britain involve smoking. We ought
to base our decisions on clinical trials."