Pubdate: Wed, 21 May 2014
Source: Manawatu Standard (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2014 Manawatu Evening Standard
Contact:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1057
Author: Jill Galloway
Page: 3

MEDICAL CANNABIS ' LAW SHOULD CHANGE'

An international horticulturist is calling for cannabis to be
legalised for medicinal use.

Mike Nichols, who has travelled around the world consulting on
horticulture, is a member of the International Society for
Horticultural Science and former Massey University horticultural lecturer.

This month the health select committee at Parliament considered a
petition asking it to look at the decriminalisation of cannabis for
pain relief and managing symptoms of chronic illness.

The petition said that, unlike opioids, cannabis did not need to be
taken in increased dosages to maintain pain relief.

Nichols said cannabis had many benefits. He said many people reacted
badly to pain-relief drugs, and cannabis could provide pain relief
they needed, as well as be an appetite stimulant for people who needed
nutrition.

Nichols said cannabis was legal for medicinal purposes in about half
the states of the United States and New Zealand should follow.

" Ninety nine per cent of people are not alcoholics even though
alcohol is available.

" Most people would not overimbibe on cannabis either; 15 per cent
already use cannabis," Nichols said.

" The trouble is the Government is not brave enough to change the drug
laws." Nichols is 80 years old, and said more people were coming out
in support of cannabis use for medicinal purposes.

He said he could only talk about medicinal use of the drug, rather
than recreational use.

He said there was potential for some tax gains if cannabis use was
legalised for medicinal use.

" Colorado [ has] a similar population to New Zealand and gets $ 70
million tax from cannabis sales."

Nichols said New Zealand had missed an opportunity to grow the opium
poppy for legal morphine.

" Trials were done in New Zealand 50 years ago and yields were high.
There was strong possibility of growing the crop here. But we missed
out and now Tasmania produces half the world's medicinal morphine."
Trials have started again in Canterbury, and they could be 50 years
too late, Nichols said.
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