Lawless for medicinal cannabis

Actress Lucy Lawless has put her starpower behind the drive for the use of medicinal cannabis.

The Xena: Warrior Princess star was on a panel last night as part of an initiative by the Start The Conversation group, which wants to raise awareness about cannabis, its medicinal properties and the impacts of prohibition and legalisation.

The event at The Pumphouse Theatre in Takapuna also featured BMX Olympian Marc Willers, medicinal cannabis user Dr Huhana Hickey and one of the group’s founders, Abe Gray.

Lawless became an ambassador for the group after a request was made by the late former president of the NZ Council of Trade Unions, Helen Kelly, who died from cancer in 2016. She had long supported medicinal cannabis.

Lawless said although she was not a smoker, she was keen to understand more about how cannabis could help those who needed to be free of pain.

“It’s not part of my world, but I’m very, very interested in a safer society and most particularly for my friends who are suffering from cancer and conditions that cause a lot of pain and nausea.

“I think it’s really cruel and unusual that we withhold a non-toxic, effective natural drug . . . and criminalise them or the people — their families — who try to supply it for their wellbeing.”

The event came after National announced last month details of a bill to allow medicinal cannabis products to be treated like any other medicines.

Lawless said she had looked at Portugal as a country doing well after its move to decriminalise the use of all drugs in 2001, mainly to fight a heroin epidemic.

Figures showed that despite what many felt was a hugely risky move, overdose deaths fell dramatically and the rate of new HIV infections continued to drop each year.

“They were seeing it as a public health issue instead of a criminal issue, and the benefits to their society have been massive. They’ve had a reduction [in drug addiction] and deaths.”