PUSH FOR NZ PATIENTS TO BE ALLOWED ILLEGAL BALM

Seriously ill New Zealanders using marijuana for medical purposes hope the
Government will consider making this legal in the wake of the American
report.

Approval to prescribe cannabis has never been granted in New Zealand, but
patient advocates say people with HIV-related illnesses, cancer, back pain
and neuromuscular disorders such as multiple-sclerosis are using marijuana
to combat pain and nausea.

The National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml) says
people are reluctant to speak out about using the drug for medicinal
purposes because they are afraid of prosecution.

Aids Foundation executive director Kevin Hague says "quite a number" of
people with HIV say they benefit from marijuana use.

An Auckland University expert in clinical pharmacology, Nick Holford, hopes
the American study will "lead to a more sensible use of marijuana in New
Zealand and let it be used for medicinal purposes."

"I'm aware of anecdotal evidence where it is used for chemotherapy to reduce
vomiting, and some patients have received pain relief from it. There are far
more harmful drugs being prescribed."

He says the US report will probably be ignored by politicians because it
deals with an illegal drug.

Norml spokesman Chris Fowlie also fears the study will gain little support,
pointing to the recent debate on the mental health effects of cannabis.

"Both [studies] were started by Governments with the deliberate attempt to
find the worst they could ... but ended up showing that cannabis is not
harmful and can be beneficial to some people."

The Government signalled recently that it would not relax laws on marijuana
use.