MCANZ Wants Cannabis Vaporizers legalized for Christmas

MCANZ Press release:
MCANZ Wants Cannabis Vaporizers legalized for Christmas.

With the Government's Medical Cannabis Bill gaining Royal assent this week, MCANZ would now like to see a rapid amendment to allow a certain class of cannabis utensils to be legalized.

Cannabis vaporizers are currently considered illegal cannabis utensils. Despite this, some of them are actually medical grade devices and are registered as such in other jurisdictions. Vaporizers offer a significant pathway to harm reduction, particularly for lung health when compared to smoking. In New Zealand the Medicines Act is overruled by the Misuse Of Drugs Act so even the high end medical-grade devices are illegal. Despite this illegality, it seems only customs is enforcing this law, with herbal vaporizers being routinely seized and destroyed by customs, yet retail outlets up and down the country, including a retail chain with 40+ stores, openly sell cannabis or "Herbal" vaporizers with no attention from police.

MCANZ Calls upon the Health Minister David Clark to review the Gazette notice classifying Drug Utensils, last updated in 2014, so that Vaporizers are legalized, as the public health benefits are significant, be it for medical or adult use.

"Cannabis vaporizers offer the same health improvements for users that E-Cigs offer over Tobacco smoking, its nuts that we have now granted a degree of protection for 25,000 people, without offering up a safer way to consume it"

"Studies conducted show that Vaporizing all but eliminates the formation of a group of compounds that are known carcinogens, while further studies have shown improvements in lung function for Cannabis smokers who transition to vaping"

"Although robust studies haven't ruled vaping harmless, it is well regarded as a comparatively safe and effective mode of delivery"

"They are already defacto legal with the police ignoring their sale, and shops offering token disclaimers about their use, the real issue is running the lottery when importing them, as customs is following the letter of the law"

"It would be a great Christmas gift if David Clark chose to resolve this status of this class of Cannabis Utensils early in the new year" Says MCANZ Coordinator Shane Le Brun

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