May 07, 2013
Bill will be test for legal cannabis
Manurewa MP Louisa Wall says the Psychoactive Substances Bill now before parliament could open the door for legal sales of marijuana – if it can be proved safe.
Ms Wall is trying to close down a new shop in her electorate selling so-called legal highs, including synthetic marijuana.
She says parliament is playing catch-up, but the new bill should create a regime where people promoting such substances must prove they are safe for consumption.
“In most countries around the world it’s a prohibition regime which means we don’t allow for it all. There is no opportunity. But what this legislation will do enable people to create a product, do some testing on it and then a regulation body will allow that substance to be sold. Who knows who might put forward cannabis for example,” she says.
Louisa Wall says the scientist who developed the synthetic cannabis for research purposes is on record as saying they were never intended for human consumption, and in the last week alone 10 people were admitted to hospitals in South Auckland with adverse responses to legal highs.
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