Medical cannabis review

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, March 6th, 2016 - 31 comments
Categories: death with dignity, Ethics, health, peter dunne - Tags: , ,

In January Helen Kelly wrote a powerful post on her use of medical cannabis.

In February her application to legally access cannabis for medical purposes was rejected. Peter Dunne should have showed more initiative, but to his credit at least he initiated a review of the guidelines that led him to reject Kelly’s application.

To many of us this issue seems like a no-brainer – give people in desperate need access to medication that helps them. As Manhire and Morris put it – why isn’t medical marijuana a shoe in? As usual the problem is political timidity – Bryce Edwards has a roundup of the issues here.

With Martin Crowe’s sad death we now learn that he too was self-medicating with liquid cannabis. How many other Kiwis have managed, or are currently secretly managing their pain in the same way? It’s ridiculous, and the time for political timidity is past. The current review should be expedited, and it should reach the obvious conclusion – make cannabis legally available for medical purposes.

31 comments on “Medical cannabis review ”

  1. Chooky 1

    +100 Great Post

  2. sabine 2

    decriminalise the plant. full stop.

    allow people to grow for own use. full stop.

    regulate and tax the growing for retail . full stop.

    collect taxes on sales. full stop

    keep prisons empty. full stop.

    win. win.

    • weka 2.1

      +1. I’d add allow people to grow for own use and share small amounts.

    • Andre 2.2

      +1 sabine

      and full legalisation defunds the current criminal gang suppliers

      • sabine 2.2.1

        actually it would legalise the criminal gang suppliers, which may actually would change the gang mentality overall.
        Why if you can do a business legally do it illegally and risk prison? And maybe they would make enough money to feed and house their families, and they would stay out of prison as now legal.

        see that shit would go around and around, one would get dizzy by all that merry round and round.

        but i guess our new profit driven prisons with their (as in the US) assured ‘bed occupancy’ would maybe not have a profit.

      • tc 2.2.2

        Allows the police to focus on the scourge that is meth, something pointed out to them many years ago by a senior narc detective who could see the threat meth possessed.

        Look at the states, conservatism hasn’t stopped them from being grown up about the de-crimalisation in many parts which seems to be working very well for them.

        • Andre 2.2.2.1

          Certainly fully legalising cannabis means users don’t have to get their supply from criminals that have an interest in hooking their customers on nastier drugs.

          Even with shit as nasty as meth, I’d still prefer to see it treated as a public health problem, rather than criminal prohibition. Seems to me to be a better way to keep criminals from pushing the stuff, and leaving toxic time bomb houses behind them as they cook it up, and shattering people’s lives with a criminal conviction for trying some new substance. Sadly there doesn’t yet appear to be precedent from overseas to learn from.

          • Mike S 2.2.2.1.1

            “Sadly there doesn’t yet appear to be precedent from overseas to learn from.”

            Portugal seems to be doing ok, 14 years after decriminalizing all drug use and possession.

            They also have a guaranteed minimum income.

      • Aidan 2.2.3

        More likely defund alcohol suppliers which is why they will fight tooth and nail.

        • sabine 2.2.3.1

          i don’t think so. there are those that only drink then there are those that only smoke and then there are those that do both. The booze industry would not go bankrupt.

    • Al66 2.3

      +100 – for sure

  3. gsays 3

    well said anthony,
    while we are at it remove all legislature around all cannibis.

    yet to hear a reason that rings true for it’s prohibition.

    • Andre 3.1

      If you feel like getting angry, just google something like marijuana prohibition history.
      It’s a long sordid tale of racism, bureaucratic empires, protecting corporate profits, and a complete lack of credible evidence of substantial harm.

      • gsays 3.1.1

        hi andre, a bit past being angry over this.
        great read is: hemp a lifeline to the future. chris conrad.

        awesome for making plastics, strong cellulose structure means fantastic building products, nitorgen fixer, harvest twice a year….

        the first known use of cannabis was sister mary aubert, up the wanganui river.
        it was used as a medicine to help nuns with menstrual cramps.

        according to the law commission in 2011, $100million was spent annually by the police in a losing battle. think, we could have nearly 4 flag referendums every year!

        social lubricant, medicine and wonder plant.
        the most damaging thing about cannabis is its status under law.

        • tc 3.1.1.1

          Did that include their use of our military who have been flying choppers for the police in their searching for crops.

  4. Robert 4

    Just choose to ignore an ignorant law!

    • sabine 4.1

      and risk prison. Yeah, right Tui.

      When we have judges and even cops with a set of balls and ovaries made from brass, that essentially start refusing these ridiculous laws we can ask people to ignore a law that protects no one and only aids in criminalising otherwise very law abiding people.

      until then, if you choose to indulge for what ever reason you break the law and can and will be arrested should a copper be around you while you purchase, indulge or retail/grow this product.

  5. Robert 5

    Been there done that and got the t-shirt

  6. Robert 6

    If more people had the balls to stand up about it then things might change? I choose to ignore an unjust law!

    • sabine 6.1

      and fuck up their life because our politicians are too cowardly to have a stance at what would be a winning subject?

      You do know the issues that people have with previous convictions getting jobs, travelling overseas n shit?

      nah, i don’t think they should be brave, as it would be stupid.

  7. johnm 7

    Yes, legalise cannabis full stop. The constipated Dunne turd will never ok this. What a rubbish government we have! 🙁

    • tc 7.1

      NACT is owned by big pharma/Monsanto/Dow etc so don’t expect any change there.

    • Aidan 7.2

      Well especially after the spectacular failure of the psychoactive law. So poorly done you have to wonder if it meant to fail?

      • Aidan 7.2.1

        Imagine allowing a psychoactive substance that has not been properly proven to be safe? Think of all the collateral damage caused by the ineptitude of this government and the jacked up meat puppet that is Peter dunn

  8. Aidan 9

    Labour would be far better embracing this than keytruder

    • Stuart Munro 9.1

      Could have both – if the American experience replicates here marijuana revenue could fund the whole of Pharmac.

      Now that would be a standard for the alcohol industry to try to match.

      • aidan 9.1.1

        huh, yeah. why stop there, why not set up a govt lab to do research into biologics. that way we could copyrite our own cutting edge medicines, saving lives, and giving big pharma a bloody nose. all funded by pot….. imagine. but it gonna happen with these corporate nut jobs at the helm.

  9. Callisto 10

    My mother self medicated at the end of her life. Every single medical professional who we told about it including hospice nurses and oncologist were supportive and unsurprised. I know many many NZers are doing this same. BTW my mother was a very law abiding conservative national party voting non drug taker , but she embraced the relief and freedom that cannabis brought her without hesitation, fear or regret.

  10. Smilin 11

    Imagine the police resources that would be freed up if cannabis was decriminalised and put on the same basis as growing your own tobacco, cause lets face it you dont need to be a genius to grow it and all the CIA and FBI BS that has been around for 100 yrs will amount to nothing except a kick in the arse for the corporates who think they are going to cream this one like the tobacco companies have. I would hope, but we all know that is wishful thinking.
    At least cannabis has been has been known to cure for centuries. It was even legal in this country before WW2
    The problem will be that people growing it and makin their own medicinal potions will of course be subject to other corporate laws relating to medicines under the TPPA which will just take the police resources in another direction to deal with the PROBLEM being once again a person’s right to chose and self determination which is a core value of a country’s sovereign right.
    Basically we are dealin with totalitarianism’s highly educated BS language which if it was on the street would be a bunch of fives to settle. Lord Haw Haw Joyce and Mamby Pamby Key will have a nice piece of CT media slosh being prepared to deal with the resurgence of the argument no doubt

  11. Smilin 12

    Just a note about dying with dignity
    Having the right to die on your own terms is what its all about which means freedom of choice without penalties that put you in the position of being judged in breach of the laws regarding suicide
    And who gets to judge that ?
    Another big can of worms you might think

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