CANNABIS CAN ALREADY BE USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES

Cannabis Can Already Be Used for Medicinal Purposes

The last thing New Zealand needs is a loosening of the rules and
regulations governing the use of cannabis. This may seem a dogmatic,
one-eyed statement and it probably is, but we are sure a great many
families in this district would agree that marijuana does more harm
than good. It has put many a youngster off the rails. And it is
easy enough to get into strife without taking drugs.

Green MP Metiria Turei says a Ministry of Health report saying there
is enough evidence to support use of cannabis gives her hope for a
law change. Mrs Turei's member's bill, Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal
Cannabis) Amendment, has been sitting on Parliament's books for
almost a year while she tries to gather information.

It has been reported that officials told Health Minister Pete Hodgson
last May there was sufficient evidence of cannabis's safety and
effectiveness to support consideration of compassionate, controlled
use. The papers obtained under the Official Information Act also
raised concerns about the harm caused by smoking the drug and
problems of arranging legal supply.

Mrs Turei told NZPA that she had talked about the report with Mr
Hodgson last year and believes it would help MPs see
decriminalisation for medical use made sense. The Green MP is
waiting for a select committee report considering a petition on the
same subject before putting her bill to the vote, hoping the evidence
presented on the petition would help her cause.

She said cannabis could be imported from countries where it was
already grown for medical use or grown in a state-controlled
laboratory in New Zealand.

The health effects argument was also a bit of a red herring. "It is
a health issue to some extent, but for patients who are likely to die
. . . really the risk of smoking is completely irrelevant."

In New Zealand, the health minister has the power to authorise
medicinal use of cannabis if a doctor applies on behalf of a patient.
Surely that's enough!