DRUG EASING ACCEPTABLE

Wellington: Partial decriminalisation of cannabis would be acceptable,
providing it could be shown no increased harm would result, the Medical
Association told a parliamentary committee this week.

Association chairman John Adams said partial decriminalisation might mean
reducing or changing the penalties for small amounts of cannabis possession.

"We believe that drug addiction is more of a social and health problem than
a criminal problem.

"We do not oppose a partial decriminalisation of cannabis, provided that it
can be shown that [it] does not increase the use and consumption on cannabis."

Dr Adams was giving evidence to Parliament's health committee, which is
investigating strategies relating to cannabis use. He described the
association's approach as "careful" and "conservative".

"We are saying we do not oppose it [partial decriminalisation], but
certainly we are not supporting that as an idea."

Dr Adams said cannabis had some "probable" benefits in some health areas,
including pain relief and reducing muscle spasm.

But there was no reliable evidence comparing cannabis with the more usual
treatments for those conditions and there was no satisfactory method of
delivering cannabis medically in specified doses, he said.

The association called for the committee to adopt a "harm minimisation"
approach to reduce the incidence and severity of drug problems.

"Increasingly, we are hearing stories of children smoking cannabis at
early, early ages and I think that probably the most effective health
promotion needs to be aimed at our younger people.

Asked if it was fair to compare New Zealand culture with overseas
experiences, Dr Adams replied, "probably not".

"That is why we are, from the Medical Association's point of view, taking a
conservative, careful approach to this and overall we believe that is what
the country should do.

"We do not need to increase the rate of our drug problems and we need not
to make access to drugs easier in the sense of increasing consumption."

Public hearings are likely to last at least two months and the committee
intends delivering a report to Parliament by the end of the year.