Help medicinal cannabis advocates attend the N.I. GP Conference this June
Posted inEvents Medicinal Use of Cannabis Press releases

Help medicinal cannabis advocates attend the N.I. GP Conference this June

Auckland NORML is fundraising to help medicinal cannabis advocates have a stall and professional presence at the North Island G.P. CME Conference, held in Rotorua on 10-12 June 2017.  GP's need education about medicinal cannabis, and support to guide them through the application process. Peter Dunne thinks the problem with slow and tiresome applications lies with doctors, not him. So we are taking up the challenge and bringing cannabis…
Changes to medicinal cannabis rules will make little difference, says NORML
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

Changes to medicinal cannabis rules will make little difference, says NORML

The NZ Government has announced changes to the rules around medicinal cannabis - but what do they really mean? The changes announced by the Government today will do little to improve safe legal access for patients using cannabis medicinally, says cannabis advocacy group NORML. An estimated one-in-twenty New Zealanders use cannabis medicinally. Approximately 150 patients have been approved to use Satixex®, while three other patients have been approved to…
Specialists to prescribe medicinal cannabis under Govt proposal
Posted inLaw Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis Press releases

Specialists to prescribe medicinal cannabis under Govt proposal

In response to sustained lobbying from patients and advocates including NORML, the NZ Government is changing the rules for medicinal cannabis so doctors can prescribe it direct to patients.  It's a step forward, and what we've been saying for years: it's the regulations that prevent doctors prescribing cannabis without special Ministerial approval, and these could be changed any time without needing to change the law. The risk is that…
Posted inEvents For Media & Students Press releases

Give-a-little fundraising page for Sue Grey, Lawyer

Sue Grey Lawyer from Nelson, New Zealand is taking our Ministry of Health to the High Court to release CBD from the Misuse of Drugs  1975. NORML recommends donating to this fund to enable Sue Grey to continue her work on this important case. More information about the legal challenge, which NORML supports, is here. The case will benefit many thousands of patients, and bring NZ into line with…
Legal status of Cannabidiol (CBD)
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

Legal status of Cannabidiol (CBD)

UPDATED AUGUST 2017 This is a step forward - but just a small step. Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has announced Cannabidiol (CBD) will remain a controlled drug with restrictions expected to be lifted in September so that GPs and other doctors can prescribe CBD to patients without needing special approval. SUMMARY: GPs and other doctors will be able to prescribe CBD products without needing special approval; CBD products must…
Green Party new cannabis policy
Posted inLaw Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

Green Party new cannabis policy

The Green Party has updated it's drugs policy: they want cannabis to be made legal for adults over 18, with home growing allowed and legal markets to be investigated "to determine the best model for New Zealand". Patients and caregivers would be allowed to use and cultivate cannabis medicinally. It's a good start - certainly the best policy in parliament. The next general election must be held in 2017.…
Health Select Committee inquiry into Rose Renton’s medicinal cannabis petition

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Posted inChris Fowlie's Blog Events Law Reform

Health Select Committee inquiry into Rose Renton’s medicinal cannabis petition

Rose Renton's medicinal cannabis petition has been referred to Parliament's Health Select Committee.  By Chris Fowlie (NORML NZ) and Rosie Baird (GreenCross NZ) The petition was presented by Labour MP Damien O'Connor on 12 October. The Health Select Committee will hold an inquiry into the issues raised. One of the most important things that you can do to help cannabis law reform is to make your views known to this…
New UMR poll shows overwhelming support for medical cannabis law change, says NORML

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Posted inChris Fowlie's Blog Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

New UMR poll shows overwhelming support for medical cannabis law change, says NORML

A new poll conducted for cannabis campaigners shows New Zealanders want the law changed now, says NORML.  "What may be surprising to some is that most people want herbal cannabis sold at health food stores for therapeutic purposes, alongside the Marjoram," said Chris Fowlie, spokesperson for the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML NZ Inc). The poll was conducted by UMR for Start the Conversation from…
Medical Cannabis “review” has failed to protect patients says NORML
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

Medical Cannabis “review” has failed to protect patients says NORML

The government's so-called review of the medicinal cannabis access guidelines has failed to protect patients. "These very minor changes will only help a few people, and even these seriously ill people will need to jump through quite a few hoops to have any chance of approval," said Chris Fowlie, spokesperson for the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML New Zealand Inc). Chris Fowlie recently returned from…
Labour will legalise medicinal cannabis “in first 100 days”, open to wider decriminalisation
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

Labour will legalise medicinal cannabis “in first 100 days”, open to wider decriminalisation

The New Zealand Labour Party have confirmed they will make medicinal cannabis legal within their "first 100 days" of forming a government, and although less supportive than the Green Party of "broader" reforms they have not ruled anything out. Leader Andrew Little says he wants to see more information about the impact of reforms, so make sure you send him some! Watch video of Andrew Little on RNZ's Morning…
It’s 420 Day: NORML presents the Medical Cannabis rally and march this Saturday 23rd April, and J Day on Saturday 7th May 2016.
Posted inEvents Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

It’s 420 Day: NORML presents the Medical Cannabis rally and march this Saturday 23rd April, and J Day on Saturday 7th May 2016.

April 20 is known as "420 Day" in the cannabis community. It is a day to celebrate the plant, including its medicinal and sacramental properties, and raise awareness of calls for law reform. All around the world, including here in New Zealand, there will be random acts of civil disobedience at 4:20pm. NORML New Zealand is using the opportunity to announce two upcoming events: the Medical Cannabis rally and…
The Medical Cannabis March – Sat 23rd April 2016 – Aotea Sq Auckland
Posted inEvents Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

The Medical Cannabis March – Sat 23rd April 2016 – Aotea Sq Auckland

Make medical cannabis legal now! Join us at this rally and protest march, calling for safe legal access to affordable, quality medicinal cannabis. A health issue should not be a crime. Make it legal now! The Medical Cannabis March Facebook page Three reasons to join us on The Medical March, Sat 23rd April: 1. New Zealanders urgently need safe legal access to medical cannabis. While the rest of the…
Sign the Rose Renton Petition for Medicinal Cannabis
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

Sign the Rose Renton Petition for Medicinal Cannabis

Kiwis urgently need safe legal access to affordable high quality medicinal cannabis. Rose Renton, mother of Alex Renton and cannabis law reform campaigner, has launched a petition that is backed by NORML and other NZ law reform groups. Download the petition here or right-click the image below, save to your computer, and print it out. Visit ItsMedicine to see where you can sign the petition in person This is…
Posted inLaw Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis Press releases

Patients can bring legally prescribed medicinal cannabis products into New Zealand

For over 20 years NORML has been advising patients who could afford it to get medicinal cannabis prescribed overseas and bring it back legally. The Misuse of Drugs Act allows any patient traveling to bring with them a personal supply of ANY prescribed drug. All countries have similar clauses, so that, for example, someone from NZ can travel with their painkillers or cancer meds. It also means anyone can…
NORML Offers Qualified Support for Binding Referendum on Medicinal Cannabis – But Would Prefer Government Acts Now

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Posted inChris Fowlie's Blog Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

NORML Offers Qualified Support for Binding Referendum on Medicinal Cannabis – But Would Prefer Government Acts Now

New Zealand's oldest cannabis law reform group has offered qualified support for Helen Kelly's proposal for a binding referendum on medicinal cannabis. Cannabis is useful for treating a wide variety of conditions including pain, nausea, inflammation, cancer, epilepsy and diabetes, and according to Government statistics may be used medically by as many as two hundred thousand New Zealanders. In a candid post on The Standard, former Union boss Helen Kelly…

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Posted inChris Fowlie's Blog Medicinal Use of Cannabis Press releases

Chris Fowlie on The Daily Blog: Compassionate approach plants seed for medical cannabis

Originally published on The Daily Blog, 11 June 2015 Medical cannabis hit the news big time this week, with the Prime Minister John Key hoping to shut down any prospect of a parliamentary debate, called for by Labour leader Andrew Little, Green Co-Leader Metiria Turei and CTU leader (and cancer patient) Helen Kelly among others. Yet the number of people using cannabis medicinally continues to grow – medical use is now forty per cent of…
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

NORML, Peter Dunne and Family First all agree patients should have more access to effective medicinal cannabis. The question is How?

Instead of wasting time and money on years of pharmaceutical-level testing, NORML says we should follow the Australian approach, treat it as a herbal remedy, and immediately allow compassionate access. A TVNZ poll last weekend showed an increase in support for medicinal cannabis, and Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne said if medicinal cannabis is effective, he will back it: "If those products are shown as a result of the normal testing…
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis

NORML and Family First agree NZ’s medicinal cannabis policies need to change

NORML is pleased to note that the conservative group Family First is calling for reforms to our outdated policies around medicinal cannabis. In their recent press release, Family First says they are now calling for: the expansion of research into the components of the marijuana plant for delivery via non-smoked forms. (Supported by NZMA) the establishment of an emergency or research program that allows seriously ill patients to obtain non-smoked…

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Posted inChris Fowlie's Blog Medicinal Use of Cannabis Press releases

Chris Fowlie on The Daily Blog: Let’s have an honest discussion on medicinal cannabis

Originally published on The Daily Blog, 16 April 2015 Safer than aspirin[1], or a sneaky ruse to legalise the devil’s weed? Patients and health professionals say cannabis may be a “wonder drug[2]” that relieves conditions from back pain and nausea to fibromyalgia, cancer[3] and epilepsy. But not according to our Ministry of Health. The only form of medicinal cannabis they permit is Sativex[4], an extract made in the UK…
Posted inEvents Press releases

2014 Law Reform Conference and NORML AGM – Sat 14 June in Wellington

NORML NZ Conference and AGM Saturday 14 June 2014, 9:30am to 5pm Hotel Mercure, 345 The Terrace, Wellington. Join us for our annual cannabis law reform conference - with cannabis reforms in Colorado, Washington and Uruguay, as well as review of the UN drug treaties, and NZ's ongoing debate about regulating synthetic cannabis substitutes (and why not the real thing?), we are now closer than ever before. Don't stand…