From the Epsom Independent Epsom Candidate: Adam Holland
My name is Adam Holland; Independent Epsom Candidate.
For the past four years I, like 500,000 other New Zealanders, have been illegally smoking cannabis for medicinal
purposes and/or even just for the occasional laugh with friends on the weekend.
We don't hurt anybody, we don't cause nuisance, we don't leave smashed or empty bottles anywhere, we don't feel the need
to damage other peoples property and we certainly don't feel the need to steal from anybody.
Many cancer patients and their physicians in OECD countries where cannabis is legal for medicinal use have found
cannabis as an effective, cheap, non addictive treatment in alleviating many painful symptoms associated with the
disease. One life prolonging side effect being an increase in appetite - a critical factor in battling cancer.
Most sufferers of serious health problems who've used cannabis as a primary treatment have found that it's more
effective and has no adverse effects upon cessation, whereas more notable and commonly prescribed drugs such as
Morphine, Diazepam (Valium), Methadone, Tramadol and Codeine, when used long term, have clusters of extremely unpleasant
withdrawal effects. What this means is that once the patient is cured of a serious disease, that individual is now
physically addicted to the very medications prescribed to help save their lives, thus creating more human suffering and
more spending in public healthcare; a cruel alternative to medicinal cannabis.
ACT preaches a classically liberal message of free choice and personal responsibility that I think all Epsom voters
deserve to hear about. It is therefore a contention of mine to challenge ACT Epsom candidate David Seymour to the
question: Will you support legalisation of cannabis?
I, Adam Holland, will without exception make it a stipulation to possible coalition partners that if they don't want to
legalise cannabis, I won't have any dealings with them when elected as your local MP for Epsom.