November 30, 2018
Terms set for medicinal cannabis support
National MP Shane Reti says changes the Government needs to make sure the country’s medicinal cannabis industry isn’t captured by overseas companies.
National yesterday voted for the second reading of the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill, but it wants to see significant changes at next week’s committee stage, including ideas Dr Reti developed for his own members bill.
National is unhappy with allowing loose leaf cannabis to be smoked, and it also wants the regulations for medicinal cannabis to be set by parliament rather than left with officials.
He says a proposed amnesty for existing growers could be critical in developing a New Zealand industry.
"One of the benefits of having or supporting domestic strains is if you bring in a patented international strain is there is at least a 10 percent levy. What we are all about and the bill I submitted is about access, affordability and safety and if you are already adding on a 10 percent surcharge for the intellectual property for an offshore strain, then you are already defeating access and affordability," Dr Reti says.
He wants to see an expert advisory committee set up to determine which conditions general practitioners can prescribe medicinal cannabis for.
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