Media Release 27 July 2020
The Say Nope To Dope campaign says that the deafening silence on the drawing out of the ballot of Dr Shane Reti’s medicinal cannabis private members bill which improves access for patients shows the true agenda of the Yes campaigners for primarily the recreational legalisation of cannabis.
“Drug advocates like the Greens, the Drug Foundation and Helen Clark have used medicinal cannabis as justification for legalising cannabis – yet when a bill is drawn which could further help achieve their goal, their silence is deafening,” says spokesperson Aaron Ironside.
“This is evidence that their campaign is fraudulent. The problem that they have is that if they supported this bill, it would undermine their ultimate goal of legalising cannabis for recreational use. But medicinal cannabis is their smokescreen for misleading the public on the real desire for promoting a yes vote for legalisation.”
“We’re calling on the Yes campaign to drop the façade of their desire to help patients. Their focus is purely on the right of people to use drugs for recreational reasons.”
We support further quality research into the components of the marijuana plant for delivery via non-smoked forms, with products established as safe, effective and approved and listed by the Ministry of Health to be prescribed via their doctor – with appropriate funding and pricing for patients. Neurologists, palliative care and pain specialists should have a key role in this process.
“Ultimately, the medical profession should be dictating the direction of the medicinal cannabis debate, not marijuana advocates with a hidden agenda.”