This Bill seeks to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 to:

• introduce an exception and a statutory defence for  terminally ill people to possess and use illicit cannabis and to possess a cannabis utensil;
• provide a regulation-making power to enable the setting of standards that products manufactured, imported and supplied under licence must meet; and
• amend Schedule 2 of the Act so that cannabidiol (CBD) and CBD products are no longer classed as controlled drugs.(See WHO statement)

Note that the Bill is intended as an interim, compassionate measure until affordable quality products are available under a proposed medicinal cannabis scheme.

Member feedback is sought on both the narrowly focused bill, and what should be considered in developing the wider medicinal cannabis scheme. NZNO’s position statement on cannabis

Please find links below to the bill and to NZNO’s Position Statement on Medical Marijuana (cannabis).

Please send feedback to marilynh@nzno.org.nz by March 21, 2018.