Medicinal cannabis bill to be debated by Parliament

Radio NZ News 8 June 2017
Family First Comment: Oppose! Any use of marijuana should be supervised by at least a doctor – at least! This bill is just a smokescreen to liberalise marijuana use for any purpose.
Parliament will debate whether to legalise cannabis for medical use, after a Green Party member’s bill was pulled from the ballot today.
The legislation would make it legal for people suffering from a terminal illness or debilitating condition to use cannabis or cannabis products with the support of a GP.
Green MP Julie-Anne Genter, who has sponsored the bill, said medicinal marijuana should be legal, accessible and affordable.
The bill would allow doctors to permit qualifying patients to grow and possess cannabis, as well as an immediate relative or other nominee.
READ MORE: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/332549/medicinal-cannabis-bill-to-be-debated-by-parliament
‘Westie’ Paula Bennett open to medicinal marijuana
NewsHub 9 June 2017
Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett has admitted the “Westie” in her wouldn’t mind medicinal marijuana being legalised – at least for medicinal purposes.
But, as she told The AM Show on Friday, it’s not National Party policy.
On Thursday Green MP Julie Anne Genter’s Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis and Other Matters) Amendment Bill was drawn from the ballot.
It would make it legal to grow your own marijuana for medical reasons, but only with a doctor’s approval and thereby avoiding costly imported products.
Asked if she supported it, Ms Bennett showed she’s nowhere near as opposed to the idea as her boss Bill English.
Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni, also appearing on The AM Show, said Ms Genter’s Bill goes a “lot further” than previous Labour attempts to change the law.
“We need to have a caucus discussion on this, but we were definitely heading in that direction.”
READ MORE: http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/06/westie-paula-bennett-open-to-medicinal-marijuana.html