Nats’ pot bill not for smoking cannabis
National’s medicinal cannabis bill would allow doctors to prescribe anyone medicinal cannabis – but not to smoke.
It goes further than the Government bill in setting up a regulatory regime but is harsher on the method of consumption that most people envision – smoking.
It would make medicinal cannabis products a pharmacistonly medicine which could be prescribed by doctors, who would authorise a photo ID medicinal cannabis card.
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.
Pharmac subsiding the products is not mentioned in a ‘‘fact sheet’’ distributed to media, however.
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.
National leader Simon Bridges said the bill would support greater access to ‘‘high-quality medicinal cannabis’’ to ease people’s 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, medicinal cannabis bill.’’
‘‘New Zealanders deserve greater access to high quality medicinal cannabis products to ease their suffering but we must have the right regulatory and