Cannabis Bill from National
WELLINGTON: Government MPs have accused National of ‘‘playing politics’’ for producing its own cannabis Bill on the same day as the health select committee reported its findings on a Government Bill.
But they have reserved judgement on National’s Bill, which would allow medicinal cannabis products to be treated like any other medicines and available from pharmacies.
It would be available on the recommendation of a doctor or nurse practitioner, who would authorise a photo ID card for medicinal cannabis.
Under National’s Bill, the products would be available as oil, tablets or underthetongue sprays, but not as looseleaf cannabis.
National leader Simon Bridges said manufacturing would have strict licensing conditions, with stand-ards like those for other medicines.
‘‘New Zealanders deserve greater access to highquality medicinal cannabis products to ease their suffering, but we must have the right regulatory and legislative controls in place.
‘‘The Government’s Bill utterly fails both those tests, so we will vote against it,’’ he said.
National’s Bill is much broader than the Government Bill before Parliament, which limits the use of medicinal cannabis to patients with terminal conditions and provides a statutory defence for terminally ill patients to use cannabis products.
The Government Bill could still pass because it has the support of Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First, a majority.
But Mr Bridges said he would approach other parties to see if they would support the more comprehensive National Bill.
The detailed 27page Bill was drawn up by Whangarei MP and doctor Shane Reti.
Dr Reti has been on the health select committee considering the Government Bill.
National’s Bill has cleared the test to enter the next ballot for private members’ Bills to be drawn, which means it has been deemed sufficiently different from the two other cannabis Bills that have been before the House this year.
Health Minister David Clark said he wanted to look at the Bill but said it was ‘‘disappointing that they are playing politics with this’’.
Labour MP Louisa Wall, who chairs the health select committee, was less charitable about the ambush, saying she had worked with National MPs on the committee in good faith.
‘‘I do think this is a subversion of the process.’’
Acting Prime Minister Wins ton Peters said he would not comment on the Bill until he had seen it.
Mr Bridges said the Government Bill was silent on how a medicinal cannabis regime would operate in practice.
‘‘The Government has said it will increase access now and leave it to officials to think through the controls and the consequences later.
‘‘That’s typical of this Government but it’s not acceptable, so we’re putting forward a comprehensive alternative.’’
The Government has promised to hold a referendum on the personal use of cannabis at or before the 2020 election, as part of the Green Party’s confidence and supply agreement with Labour.