CLARK SNUFFS OUT DOPE LAW HOPE

Prime Minister Helen Clark has dampened down expectations of an
immediate change to medicinal cannabis laws, saying Health Ministry
advice should not be read as a "major endorsement" of its use.

Miss Clark also made it clear that the ministry came down against the
use of leaf cannabis to ease pain, as the release of new papers
raises fresh debate over what has become a politically contentious issue.

She said there "may be something" to the use of a special nasal spray
containing THC and other extracts from the cannabis plant, which is
being tested in Britain. But, while the British pharmaceutical
company testing the spray Sativex was happy to supply it for clinical
trials in New Zealand, "they've never applied for approval of it".

The Misuse of Drugs Act allows doctors to apply for special approval
from the health minister to prescribe cannabis for a patient under their care.

But that is dependent on cannabis being available in an appropriate
medicinal form.

The Dominion Post revealed yesterday that health authorities had
acknowledged that there was enough evidence to support the use of
cannabis on compassionate grounds.

In an October briefing paper to Health Minister Pete Hodgson, the
ministry said there was "sufficient evidence of safety and efficacy
of cannabis in some medical conditions" to support consideration of
compassionate, controlled use.

Miss Clark said her reading of the Health Department paper was that
it was "not a major endorsement of the use of cannabis".

"They have had approval in Canada for (Sativex) as a treatment
related to the relief of pain from multiple sclerosis, so there may
be something in it, but we simply haven't had an application."

Some Labour MPs are known to support medicinal cannabis use, but the
issue is fraught because of Labour's support arrangements with other
parties like United Future, which opposes the decriminalisation of
cannabis, but has an open mind about medicinal use.

Green MP Metiria Turei said she had a bill decriminalising medicinal
cannabis that was awaiting further information. "It is a health issue
to some extent, but for patients who are likely to die ... really,
the risk of smoking is completely irrelevant."

Mrs Turei said she believed there was growing support for the
medicinal use of cannabis, but had no undertakings from any party to
back the bill to select committee.