MEDICINAL CANNABIS STEP CLOSER

Parliament's health committee is expected to recommend the medicinal
use of cannabis.

However, the select committee is expected to dodge the question of
whether cannabis should be decriminalised but to keep the issue alive
by recommending that another committee inquire into that issue.

It appears likely the health committee will note that the evidence
presented to it suggests moderate use of cannabis is not particularly
dangerous to people's health and to recommend medicinal use of the
drug be legal, if it is prescribed.

If this is the tenor of the committee's report, it would be a
significant step in the cannabis debate in New Zealand.

Canada and the Netherlands already have laws allowing the use of
cannabis for medicinal purposes.

The health committee also is likely to recommend the Government look
further into claims that the administration of cannabis laws
discriminates against Maori.

Evidence put before the committee suggested Maori were four times more
likely than other people to be apprehended for cannabis use.

Greater leniency for first-time possession-of-cannabis offenders,
including increased use of diversion, is also expected.

The long-awaited final draft of the committee report is finished and
is expected to be signed off next week.

After considerable deliberation, the committee is understood to be
unlikely to make any recommendations for or against decriminalising
cannabis.

It is set, however, to recommend that the justice and electoral
committee consider the issue, probably saying its own brief had been
to examine the health effects of cannabis, rather than the drug's
legal status.

National's health spokeswoman, Dr Lynda Scott, said that if controlled
trials found cannabis was a better medication for nausea or muscle
relaxing it could be used in spray or tablet form.

But she did not support prescription of cannabis joints.

"That's just de facto decriminalisation."

In May, Australian Prime Minister John Howard backed a trial of
cannabis use for pain relief for the chronically ill, provided it was
dispensed by a doctor and was in spray or tablet form.

New Zealand Medical Association chairwoman Dr Tricia Briscoe said the
association supported research into medicinal uses of cannabis, but
smoking would not be an acceptable way of administering it.

In April, Green MP Nandor Tanczos called for the Government to fund
medical trials.

United Future's confidence and supply agreement with Labour stipulates
the Government should not initiate moves for the legal status of
cannabis to be changed.

United Future health spokeswoman Judy Turner said her party would not
support any recommendation favouring cannabis use for medical
purposes. The party might have a different view if drug regulation
agency Medsafe sought that use.