Drugs

Regulations to support that Bill came into force on 1 April 2020, meaning approved cannabis-based medicines can now be prescribed by any medical practitioner. The NZ Drug Foundation said it was a “win for patients”.

National proposed an alternative bill, setting out a much more detailed regulatory regime which would allow patients to buy cannabis products from pharmacists, and would not allow for any loose-leaf smoking. Whilst Family First agreed with the concerns expressed by National around loose-leaf smoking, we do support the expansion of further quality research into the components of the marijuana plant for delivery via non-smoked forms.

Medicinal marijuana should be tested and supervised (and funded) like any other medicine – but not used as a ‘smokescreen’ for recreational use by drug advocates. We should keep marijuana medical. If the current medicinal cannabis regime is falling short, we should fix that legislation, but that does not mean we should legalise it for recreational use.

In 2018, prior to the introduction of the 2018 Government bill, Green MP Chloe Swarbrick’s (previously Julie Anne Genter’s) private member’s bill (Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis and Other Matters) Amendment Bill) was effectively a grow-your-own-dope-medicine bill, with very little control or safeguards. Family First opposed this legislation. It was rightly rejected by the majority of MPs.