New Zealand will make medicinal cannabis more accessible for people suffering terminal illness or chronic pain, the government said, on Wednesday.
The government unveiled in parliament its Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, which will remove cannabidiol from the schedule of controlled drugs.
The bill also includes a medicinal cannabis scheme to allow patients access to quality products and which legalizes domestic cultivation and manufacture of medicinal cannabis products.
The scheme is expected to take up to two years to be fully functional, meaning the government will create an interim measure which allows a legal defence for possession and use of illicit cannabis by those in the last year of their life.
“There is increasing evidence to support the use of medicinal cannabis,” Health Minister Dr David Clark said, in a statement, on Wednesday.
“Just last week, the World Health Organization noted that cannabidiol could have therapeutic value and did not carry any addiction risks.”
Changes were not being considered, though, for the general possession of cannabis, which is illegal in New Zealand. That law may be reviewed after a referendum on recreational cannabis within the current legislation period, Clark added.
The bill is expected to pass parliament with only minor possible amendments, Clark’s spokesman said, and become law in six to twelve months. (NAN)