Nats’ pot bill not for smoking cannabis
National’s medicinal cannabis bill would allow anyone with a doctor-issued ID card to purchase medicinal cannabis, but not smoke it.
It goes further than the Government bill in setting up a regulatory regime but is more harsh on the method of consumption that most people envision – smoking.
It would make medicinal cannabis products a pharmacistonly medicine which could be quasi-prescribed by doctors, who would authorise a photo ID medicinal cannabis card that would then allow patients to buy cannabis products from pharmacists. This means doctors would not need to prescribe the cannabis over and over again.
This would contrast with the Government bill, which provides a legal defence for cannabis possession and consumption for those with terminal conditions, but does not provide a legal path to selling or obtaining it.
Some medicinal cannabis products are already available but are prohibitively expensive. National’s bill, in the name of MP Shane Reti, would allow for ‘‘fast track’’ MedSafe consenting of new cannabis products and domestic production to attempt to offset this.
All loose-leaf and edible cannabis products would remain illegal but pills and liquids would be allowed.
The bill would need to be pulled from the lucky-draw ballot and attract the support of at least one of the Government-coalition parties to pass.
It’s likely that the Greens are the main target for National to pull support from, as the party has a long-standing policy to introduce medicinal cannabis. NZ First could also be a target however.
A spokeswoman for the Green Party said National had not reached out to discuss the bill yet.
National leader Simon Bridges said the bill would support greater access to ‘‘high quality medicinal cannabis’’ to ease suffering.
‘‘Unlike the Government, National has put a huge amount of thinking and research into this,’’ Bridges said.
‘‘Over the past few months the National caucus has been considering the issue of medicinal cannabis while our health caucus committee members have been hearing submissions on the Government’s own, limited, cannabis bill.’’
Health Minister David Clark said when introducing the bill that it was as far as all three Government parties could agree on – indicating NZ First were holding them back from more comprehensive reform.
It’s unclear whether National’s bill will apply to those with just terminal illnesses or would also cover people with other serious illnesses.
National whipped its MPs to vote down a members’ bill by Green MP Chloe Swarbrick earlier in 2018, which some of their more liberal MPs had expressed support for.
Swarbrick said she was ‘‘stoked the Nats have come around to understanding the need for more comprehensive and sensible cannabis legislation, but I’m gutted they have wasted time and public money’’. medicinal
Ties that bind?
Simon Bridges may be telling people he can see both NZ First and the Green Party supporting his medicinal cannabis bill, but the tie he wore yesterday might suggest which way he is leaning – it was bright green. Asked about this by a sartorially-minded reporter, Bridges laughed and said he was ‘‘flattered’’ that the media would ‘‘over-analyse’’ his tie. ‘‘We’ll take the support on this bill wherever we can get it.’’ To be fair, weed is green too.
No reimbursement
The New Zealand Defence Force would not be asking for any kind of reimbursement for the cost of having 17 army nurses deployed to hospitals during the strike, on July 12. Defence Minister Ron Mark said he didn’t know the cost of providing the nurses, but NZDF would bear it. He said sending nurses fitted with the Government’s defence strategy, which included helping communities in New Zealand and around the world, when needed.
Dinner diplomacy
Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters hosted Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro¯ Aso¯, and Vice-Minister of Finance for International Affairs Masatsugu Asakawa, at his home for dinner. Peters said New Zealand and Japan had an ‘‘excellent bilateral relationship, and said the pair discussed how to strengthen cooperation, ‘‘particularly in the delivery of our respective development assistance programmes in the Pacific’’.
Cap request denied
Housing Minister Phil Twyford’s request to be able to adjust the KiwiBuild caps in the future has been denied by the Cabinet. He asked whether he would be able to adjust the income cap for KiwiBuild homes in the future without the Cabinet’s approval – the caps are currently $180,000 for a couple, and $120,000 for a single person. But Twyford’s request was denied, and any changes will have to go through the Cabinet.