Thursday, June 15, 2006

Medicinal cannabis back on the table

Green MP Metiria Turei has had a private member's bill to introduce medicinal cannabis pulled from the ballot. It might stand a chance of being passed if a few National MPs keep an open mind. United Future will fight it tooth and nail but there's only three of them. NZ First will probably oppose it but the Maori Party shouldn't.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Likewise, I can't see the Maori Party calling for relaxation of the legislation while they have MPs calling for tobacco to be banned. Unless the medicinal cannabis is to help them with lung cancer...

Anonymous said...

And let us hope that ACT will vote in favour as well. They ought to. And without the baggage of Newman and Franks to weigh them down and push them in an antiliberal direction they probably will vote in favour.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Gary, supplying medicinal cannabis under prescription through pharmacy is exactly what the Maori Party are proposing for tobacco, so not supporting the bill would be inconsistent.

Anonymous said...

Lindsay - can tobacco use be described as medicinal? It is certainly addictive, so you could equate its prescription with methadone. Still, its a bit of a stretch...

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Only this morning I had someone say to me that smoking calmed their nerves...... But you are right. The Maori Party are pushing the addictive nature of tobacco as why it should be available on prescription.