Medical Association’s Stance On Cannabis Welcome

Medical Association’s Stance On Cannabis Welcome

Phil Saxby, President of NORML NZ, today welcomed the New Zealand Medical Association’s stance on cannabis for medicinal use and called upon the Government to adopt the same sensible position.

"The NZMA has said that it supports a Law Commission proposal which allows patients to use cannabis under medical supervision. NORML has supported medicinal use for a long time," he said.

Mr Saxby pointed out that the Law Commission has also proposed that cultivators of medical cannabis should be licensed in the same way as other legitimate producers of controlled drugs.

"Unfortunately, for the many thousands of New Zealanders who currently find relief from pain and other conditions in their use of cannabis, the Justice Minister seems content to have them branded as criminals!" he said.

Cannabis is already used legally for medicinal purposes in Canada, Spain, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, and in 13 states in the US.

In California, medicinal cannabis has been legal at the state level for many years. This November, Californians will vote whether or not to legalise – and tax – cannabis for recreational use as well.

"It seems bizarre that when more and more places overseas are moving towards evidence-based drug policies and reversing their positions on medical cannabis, Simon Power seems to think New Zealand has the best drug policy in the world. Yet, New Zealand has the highest rate of teenage cannabis use in the world," says Mr Saxby.

"The Minister has said that not a single suggestion from the Law Commission would be an improvement – one must draw the conclusion that the Misuse of Drugs Act must be, in his view, nearly perfect," Mr Saxby concluded. "Please explain, Minister!"

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