GOVT 'SHOULD CONSIDER' MEDICINAL CANNABIS

A parliamentary committee had recommended the Government consider allowing
doctors to prescribe cannabis for medicinal purposes but has been unable to
agree on the drug's legal status.

The health committee said that question should be considered by another
parliamentary committee.

It said current high levels of cannabis use and black market activity
indicated the current prohibition regime was not working.

A key recommendation in its 80-page report is that the Government consider
allowing doctors to prescribe cannabis products for medicinal purposes.

Chairwoman Steve Chadwick said clinically tested products such as tablets
and sprays could be prescribed.

This would mean people who suffered chronic illnesses such as arthritis,
multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer and epilepsy would not have to "get high
on pot" to get the relief provided by the medically active components in
cannabis, she said.

Among other recommendations, the committee said:

the expert advisory committee on drugs should give high priority to
reconsidering its classification of cannabis:

Parliament's justice and electoral select committee should consider the
appropriate legal status of cannabis;

people with first offences for possession and use of cannabis should be
diverted to compulsory health assessment instead of getting a criminal
conviction;

police should expand the diversion scheme for cannabis offences;

the Government should follow up on allegations that police discriminated
against Maori when investigating cannabis offences;

research should be carried out into the relationship between cannabis use
and suicide and road accidents.

The committee's brief, when it started its three-year investigation into the
health effects of cannabis, was to find the most effective strategies to
minimise the use of the drug and evaluate the harm it caused.

It found there was no evidence to suggest harmful effects for the majority
of occasional recreational cannabis users.

"However, harmful acute and chronic effects of cannabis use are associated
with frequent and heavier use."

It said the Government needed to develop policy to reverse the trend for
increasing consumption of cannabis by young people.

"Considerable research exists indicating that early drug use is associated
with psychological developmental problems, when young people move from
experimental to frequent use," the report said.

Green MP Nandor Tanczos said if cannabis was reclassified from a C1 to a C2
or C3 drug that would make medicinal use easier to regulate and remove
police powers to search without a warrant.

Mr Tanczos said young people should be protected from using cannabis but it
was clear from the report that "non-problematic, adult use should not be
criminalised because that carries with it a whole host of other problems".

The report said prohibition resulted in high conviction rates for a
relatively minor offence, which inhibited people's education, travel and
employment opportunities.

Green MP Sue Kedgley said cannabis had been "demonised" to the point
rational discussion had not been possible but she hoped this report would
now allow that.

Under its agreement with United Future, the Government promised not to
introduce legislation changing the legal status of cannabis.

Progressive Coalition leader Jim Anderton said he was pleased the committee
did not recommend a change in the legal status of cannabis, saying no
consensus for change meant there was no mandate for change.

National and New Zealand First said in the report there should be no change
in cannabis law, while United Future leader Peter Dunne said cannabis use
was the "gateway" to social and educational failure as well as regular use
of harder drugs.

ACT said the recommendations were vague, and would be of little value if
enacted, while costly to implement.

The Drug Foundation said it was disappointed its suggestion of a formal
warning with health information for first offenders had not been taken up.

The Government has 90 days to respond to the committee's report.