New Zealand Government Introduces New Medicinal Cannabis Laws

The government has unveiled new legislation to protect sick patients who use medicinal cannabis.

The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, introduced by Labour to parliament today, will make the drug more available to those with terminal illness or suffering chronic pain. They will be able to domestically cultivate the drug for their own use, and manufacture medical products.

Under the law changes, it will still be illegal to supply cannabis to those without a prescription from a doctor.

The government is also introducing a committee to assess existing rules around the prescription of medicinal cannabis, to make the process easier for doctors and more available for patients.

RNZ reported Health Minister David Clark saying the legislation would, in time, result in greater supply of quality medicinal cannabis, including products made here in New Zealand.
Based on the Australian experience, he said, that would likely take up to two years to happen.

"However, there will be people who can't wait. As an interim measure the legislation will create a legal defence for possession and use of illicit cannabis for people who are expected by their doctors to be in their last year of life. This does not make it legal for the terminally ill to use cannabis, but it means that they will not be criminalised for doing so."

Last week, the World Health Organisation noted that cannabidiol could have therapeutic value and did not carry any addiction risks.

The law does not make any changes to recreational cannabis use or sale, which remains illegal in New Zealand. The government is due to reconsider legalising recreational cannabis following a referendum, which is currently in planning stages.