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…
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…
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…
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 inFor Media & Students Law Reform Press releases

Toke the Vote: NORML’s guide to NZ Political Party cannabis policies

NORML's policy, renewed at our recent national conference, is to encourage supporters to vote for parties and candidates who will work to reform our cannabis laws. We need at least 61 supportive MPs in parliament. You can help make this happen! Here is a summary of how the parties stack up against our three core policy goals. See below for more information including links to party policies and public…
Posted inFor Media & Students Law Reform Press releases

Complete rethink needed of all drug laws

NORML has advised the Ministry of Health a complete rethink is needed of all drug control laws and policies. In it's submission to the discussion document on the New National Drug Policy, New Zealand's longest running cannabis law reform group said the lack of any willingness to look at first principles, and the missed opportunity to place the NDP in a world context, is especially sad given that NZ…
Posted inLaw Reform Medicinal Use of Cannabis Press releases

Review of the National Drug Policy – submissions close 28 Feb 2014

The Ministry of Health has announced on its website that submissions are now open for the review of the National Drug Policy. Download NORML's submission to the New National Drug Policy here. The previous NDP expired in 2012. NORML's Chris Fowlie was invited to take part in a "innovation session" in June 2013 to come up with some new policy ideas that, unfortunately, had to remain within the current…
Posted inLaw Reform Press releases

Regulate natural cannabis to reduce synthetic cannabis

Demand for synthetic cannabis would plummet if natural cannabis were legally and safely available here as in Colorado, where laws have today been enacted to ensure the world's first legal marijuana market for adults will be a robust and comprehensive regulatory system. "Our parliament is grappling with regulations controlling the sale of synthetic cannabis and party pills," said NORML spokesperson Chris Fowlie, "but there is no market for these…
Posted inLaw Reform Press releases

Canada’s Liberal Party votes to legalise

Canada's Liberal Party, the country's oldest registered political party, has overwhelmingly adopted a policy of supporting the regulation and taxation of cannabis commerce, something New Zealand's conservative government should also consider. The Liberals have often been the governing party in Canada, and have previously attempted several times to introduce legislation to legalise, regulate and tax their multi-billion dollar cannabis trade. At their latest annual conference the Liberals voted by…

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Posted inDr Phil's blog Law Reform Press releases

Ban on Low Risk Drugs should be Temporary, says NORML

Drug law reform organisation NORML says the government's temporary ban on synthetic cannabis provides time for proper consideration of the Law Commission's report issued in May. "Low risk drugs like cannabis and party pills should be regulated, not banned", says Acting President Phil Saxby. "The huge popularity of party pills before they were banned is an indication that young people want access to safe, legal psychoactive drugs. Banning them…
Posted inPress releases

Protect Young People By Banning Alcohol Advertising

The current system of voluntary self-regulation of alcohol advertising is not working to reduce the harms from excess drinking, especially amongst young people, which is why the glamorization of alcohol through public advertising and sponsorship should be banned. In its submission sent to the Justice and Electoral Committee on the Alcohol Reform Bill, NORML NZ cited research showing that alcohol advertising and promotion increases the likelihood of adolescents taking…
Posted inPress releases

Cannabis Armistice Tour Kicks Off

Press Release: Dakta Green Stage three of the cannabis Armistice Tour kicks off on Wednesday, August 11 and will cover the entire country before a hikoi to Parliament on Armistice Day, November 11. Dakta Green, founder of Auckland's cannabis club The Daktory, will be driving Maryjane the Cannabus, along with an entourage of support vehicles in a three month tour commencing at 11:00 am with a ceremony beneath the…