Medical Cannabis Awareness NZ
Select Committee unwilling to travel to meet those who need Medical Cannabis the most.
Last week it was announced that Select committee will hear personal submissions on the 30th of April. However it was
hoped that the select committee would travel to the regions, as many of those who wish to speak to their submissions are
severely ill, on benefits and face an arduous and often painful journey to get to wellington.
Says MCANZ Coordinator Shane Le Brun:
“A range of organisations had wanted the health select committee to travel to the major centres, so that those disabled
patients would have less of an effort, both physically and financially, to say their piece on Medical Cannabis.”
“It is now an impossible task for some patients to have their say, while there is the option of phoning in a submission,
patients wish to front up and look the MPs in the eye, as MPs are prone to sitting on their phones checking their
emails, facebook etc, during phoned submissions.”
“Essentially the people with most at stake, have their democratic rights severely degraded by the refusal of the select
committee to travel. They held hearings on alcohol reform in the regions, why not Medical Cannabis?”
Says MS Patient Campbell Patterson
“Most of the time I am wheelchair bound, I was looking forward to the opportunity to speak, as we had hoped that we
could be heard in Auckland.”
“Travel to wellington is unfeasible for me and many others, with my disabilities I would need a carer to come with me,
and the only feasible option in my health is a relatively quick trip on a plane, with a carer that is simply outside of
my budget.”
“I really hope that the health select committee would reconsider at least arranging for hearings in Auckland”
“It’s wrong to expect us all to come to wellington at personal expense, while they are able bodied with a budget to boot
and could easily run a day in Auckland”