Pubdate: Fri, 08 Aug 2003
Source: New Zealand Press Association (New Zealand Wire)
Copyright: 2003 New Zealand Press Association

GOVT SHOULD CONSIDER MEDICINAL CANNABIS, COMMITTEE FINDS

Updated Report

The Government should consider allowing doctors to prescribe cannabis for 
medicinal purposes, a parliamentary committee has recommended.

The committee has been unable to agree on the legal status of cannabis but 
says officials should give a review of its classification high priority.

However, it has also recommended that the Government "pursue the 
possibility of supporting the prescription of clinically tested cannabis 
products for medicinal purposes".

The long-awaited report on the committee's three-year investigation into 
the health effects of cannabis was tabled in Parliament today.

The committee's brief in 2000 was to find the most effective strategies to 
minimise the use of the drug and evaluate the harm it caused.

The committee said in its report that cannabis had been shown to be 
effective in providing relief for some medical disorders.

However, some on the committee did not want the medicinal use of cannabis 
to have the potential to be a "back door" to legalisation of the drug.

The committee said the majority of submitters to its inquiry favoured 
legalisation of cannabis, with 52.3 per cent favouring legalisation and 
regulation.

Under its agreement with United Future, the Government promised not to 
introduce legislation changing the legal status of cannabis.

Cannabis resin (hashish) and cannabis oil (hash oil) are classified as 
Class B1 while cannabis leaf and seed is classified Class C1 under the 
schedule of controlled drugs.

It recommended the expert advisory committee on drugs give high priority to 
its reconsideration of the classification of cannabis.

Among other recommendations, the health select committee said people with 
first offences for possession and use of cannabis should be diverted to 
compulsory health assessment instead of getting a criminal conviction.

It was concerned young people were not being told clearly enough that they 
should not use cannabis, particularly given the "severe effects" it might 
have on their health.

The Government needed to develop policy to reverse the trend for increasing 
consumption of cannabis by young people, it said.

It recommended further research into the relationship "between cannabis use 
and both suicide and road accidents".

Green MPs Nandor Tanczos and Sue Kedgley today welcomed the report, saying 
it presented a compelling case for change.

"In the light of the current concerns around increased use of 
methamphetamines, the comment in the report that `prohibition facilitates 
the black market and exposes cannabis users to harder drugs' should make us 
all sit up and take notice, " said Mr Tanczos.

Ms Kedgley said the report acknowledged that for the majority of occasional 
cannabis users there was a low risk of cannabis-related harm.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart