Category

Recent News

Former PM, police investigator, among Kiwis backing cannabis legalisation campaign

Stuff co.nz 2 June 2020
A former police investigator is among a number of high-profile New Zealanders encouraging the country to vote Yes in the upcoming cannabis referendum.

The New Zealand Drug Foundation’s “Our Own Terms” campaign features Tim McKinnel, an investigator who helped prove Teina Pora’s innocence, alongside former Prime Minister Helen Clark, psychiatrist Hinemoa Elder and educator Richie Hardcore, among others.

“The system as it is now is a free-for-all, it’s unregulated and uncontrolled and forces people to dip their toes into the black market,” said McKinnel, who spent several years on the police drug squad.

“Police spend a great deal of time and money fighting cannabis, with helicopter recovery operations, or with uncovering underground growing operations. It’s a drain not only on policy but on our courts and prisons.”

He is supporting the Yes campaign because it will allow for stricter regulations.

“The Bill we are voting on is the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill. People tend to forget about the control part.”

The campaign is pushing a number of different arguments aimed to persuade undecided voters.

The foundation sees arguments around freeing up police time, increasing tax revenues, and improving access for medicinal cannabis users as some of the stronger motivators for undecided voters.

“We’re taking a positive approach, not trying to stoke fear,” Drug Foundation chief executive Ross Bell said.

“We want to highlight that the Bill is designed for New Zealand, it’s different from what we’ve seen overseas, like in Colorado for example, and it takes a much stricter approach.

“Under this Bill, the Government takes control over the cannabis market, from seed to sale. We encourage all New Zealanders to read the Cannabis Control Bill and see for themselves. This is about putting sensible controls around an existing market, and it will mean a net gain for public health.”

Hinemoa Elder said she was supporting the campaign for moral reasons.

“As a doctor I cannot ethically support the status quo at this time. Frankly, it’s a mess, for all sorts of reasons,” she said.

She said arguments that cannabis users were more likely to develop mental illnesses were not accurate, and the greater impact on users came from legal repercussions.

“In my practice, what I see is when young people get cannabis convictions they tend to have further restrictions put on their education and their life in the long term.”
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300025476/former-pm-police-investigator-among-kiwis-backing-cannabis-legalisation-campaign

twitter follow us

A vape being touted as a vitamin inhaler is being targeted to young women on Instagram

NZ Herald 30 May 2020
Medsafe is looking into a new vape which promises to “support balance and mood” and help users “feel more alert,” which experts fear could be dangerous.

Inhale Vitamins herbal vapes are marketed via social media with experts saying the company appears to be actively targeting a younger demographic.

One Instagram post, changed after the Herald on Sunday made inquiries, said the Vita Babe inhaler “supports feminine energy, raises wellbeing, and helps with mood management”.

Malaghan Institute of Medical Research’s director of research Professor Graham Le Gros said they’d seen “herbal” vapes marketed overseas for the past few years and the product could “absolutely” be dangerous.

“There’s always the potential for allergies, fibrosis, COPD, all of those things we associate with smoking causes a certain amount of reaction and over a period of time you can really destroy your lung function.”

He said if someone started inhaling things, they could trigger a powerful immune response, which could cause all sorts of medical problems.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12334612

facebook_icon

Smokescreen

Family First Comment: With a long weekend coming up, this could be THE most important video you watch.It’s one of the best summaries we’ve seen of where the legalisation of cannabis will lead to – (and all the clever marketing behind the push to liberalise drug laws).
Just 45 minutes.
But it will shock you.

Cannabis growing facilities up for sale across B.C.

Vancouver Sun 27 May 2020
Large cannabis growing facilities are up for sale in communities across the province as the industry comes to grips with slower-than-expected sales of government-sanctioned cannabis products.

An 18,000-sq.-ft. cannabis cultivation and processing facility is for sale in the Village of Lumby after its owner True Leaf Brands entered bankruptcy proceedings. The asking price for the warehouse-sized operation on 40 acres is $7.25 million.

“We are on a good piece of land in a town that is supportive of the business, so we’ve had quite a bit of interest,” said True Leaf CEO Darcy Bomford. “The deadline for bids is June 19.”

Zenabis is selling a 25,000-sq.-ft. licensed cannabis cultivation and processing facility on Annacis Island for $12.75 million.

An uncompleted cannabis production facility in Kelowna is listed at $13 million, but a potential buyer will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement before the agent will show it. The 25,000-sq.-ft. facility, owned by Doja Cannabis, is advertised as “80 per cent complete.”

At least a dozen mid-sized cannabis companies have recently filed for bankruptcy, and industry leaders say there are many more to come.

“Based on the calls that I’m getting, I’m expecting another dozen more as funding has dried out,” said Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy. Tilray, with production facilities in Nanaimo, cut its staff by 10 per cent earlier this year.
READ MORE: https://vancouversun.com/news/cannabis-growing-facilities-up-for-sale-across-b-c/wcm/1619bb6d-4b6f-4d13-81bd-908e074c080b/

signup-rollKeep up with family issues in NZ.
Receive our weekly emails direct to your Inbox.

Today’s high potency weed raises risk of anxiety and addiction, study says

CNN Health 27 May 2020
If you’re thinking of returning to the weed of your youth to ease the strain of the pandemic, you will soon discover a potent truth — today’s weed is nothing like yesterday’s.

Just 20 years ago levels of tetrahydracannabinol, the compound in cannabis known as THC that makes you high, was between 2% and 4% in most marijuana. By 2013, common strains contained 25% THC, with some testing as high as 37%.

Use of weed of any strength has been linked to mental health disorders, and lab experiments have shown that higher does of THC can cause greater memory impairment and temporary psychotic-like symptoms. But few studies have examined how potency levels may affect behavior in real-world populations.

A new study, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, surveyed more than 1,000 UK residents who reported marijuana use in the past year. The study found high-potency weed users appear to have a significant increase in the likelihood of developing generalized anxiety disorder than those who smoke less robust strains of marijuana.

The study used data gathered by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, which asked questions about cannabis use when participants were 24 years of age. Most of the participants said they smoked less potent strains of marijuana (87%), and those who did use more powerful strains were more likely to be male and to have grown up in a lower socioeconomic status. High potency users were also more likely to have used weed an at earlier age, and more likely to have experienced some psychotic events associated with their habit.

Prior studies have also seen associations between high-potency weed and mental health disorders.

study of first-episode psychosis in more than 400 patients in London found those who said they used higher-potency weed were twice as likely to have a psychotic disorder than those who didn’t use marijuana.

A study that looked at more than 900 patients with psychosis in 11 clinics in Brazil and across Europe found daily use of weed to be associated with increased odds of psychotic disorder.

However, there was more than four times the risk of psychotic disorder when high-potency weed was used daily. The study estimated that if high-potency cannabis were no longer available, between 12 and 50 cases of first-episode psychosis could have been prevented among the patients in the study.
READ MORE: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/27/health/high-potency-weed-wellness/index.html

twitter follow us

Ben Cort: “What NZ Needs To Understand About The Marijuana Debate” – An interview w/ Bob McCoskrie

Ben Cort is from Colorado and is the author of “Weed, Inc.: The Truth About the Pot Lobby, THC, and the Commercial Marijuana Industry”, released in September 2017. His passion for recovery, prevention and harm reduction comes from his own struggle with substance abuse. Sober since June 15, 1996, Ben has been a part of the recovery community in almost every way imaginable – from a recipient to a provider to a spokesperson. Ben has a deep understanding of the issues and a personal motivation to see the harmful effects of drug and alcohol abuse minimised. Ben’s Ted-X talk in 2017, What commercialisation is doing to cannabis, has had more than 1.6 million views! Ben recently visited New Zealand, speaking to community leaders, politicians and media.

National leader Todd Muller signals cannabis legislation will have his support if New Zealand votes ‘yes’

Stuff co.nz 26 May 2020
National leader Todd Muller says his party will likely support the legalisation of cannabis if New Zealand votes “yes” in the upcoming referendum.

National has previously declined to commit to enacting the result of the non-binding cannabis referendum, which will be voted on in September as part of the 2020 election.

But Muller signalled a softer stance on Tuesday, before his first caucus meeting after ousting Simon Bridges from the leadership, indicating he would legalise cannabis “if the people have spoken” in support.

The bill being proposed by the Labour-led Government would allow cannabis to be consumed, sold, and purchased for recreational use, by people 20 years or older. Personal possession of 14 grams of cannabis, the sale of cannabis edibles, and growing up to four cannabis plants per household would be allowed.

The 14-gram limit became subject of political theatre in December, with former National deputy leader Paula Bennett holding up a bag of oregano in the House, decrying the amount as far too high.

Bridges, who was booted from the leadership by fellow MPs on Friday, was unwilling to directly commit to passing the legislation if it were supported by the public — saying in May 2019 he would not deal with “hypotheticals”.

While Muller said the caucus was yet produce a “finely distilled” perspective, he had a “belief that if the people have spoken, and given a pretty clear steer that they support it, then we need to take very strong cognisance of that, in terms of the legislative changes that will then follow”.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/121627780/national-leader-todd-muller-signals-cannabis-legislation-will-have-his-support-if-new-zealand-votes-yes

twitter follow us

Science, Enforcement Lag as Car Accidents, Claims Rise in Legal Cannabis States

Insurance Journal 18 November 2019
Family First Comment: “Colorado, Oregon, and Washington saw a combined 5.2% increase in the rate of police-reported crashes after legalizing recreational marijuana, compared with neighboring states where such sales are illegal, according to data compiled and analyzed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.”

Car crashes in the first three states to legalize recreational marijuana have soared as law enforcement and regulators struggle to define driving high, let alone determine how to fight it.

Colorado, Oregon, and Washington saw a combined 5.2% increase in the rate of police-reported crashes after legalizing recreational marijuana, compared with neighboring states where such sales are illegal, according to data compiled and analyzed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Researchers tallied crash rates between 2012 and 2016.

Auto-insurance collision claims in the three states have also increased a combined 6% since legalization, compared with neighboring western states without legal weed, the Highway Loss Data Institute found. Analysts controlled for variables such as driver population, car model, weather, and driving environment.

The increases have caught Congress and federal regulators off guard as states with legalized marijuana seek answers. Unlike with alcohol, scientifically there’s neither a proven definition of marijuana-impaired driving nor a method of detecting it, making it difficult to police and prosecute. Insurance companies say driving under the influence statistics don’t separate out marijuana and can’t be used to set rates, taking away another potential deterrent to driving high. And Congress has impeded regulator efforts to collect more information on the subject.

“Drunk driving is still the No. 1 killer on our roads,” said Helen Witty, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “But drugged driving, as it’s legalized across this country, is a huge, emerging issue.”

Scientists know that drivers who are high tend to drive at lower speeds, have more difficulty staying in their lanes, and are slower to brake in an emergency than drunk drivers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.
READ MORE: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2019/11/18/548752.htm

facebook_icon

Lack of evidence supporting medicinal cannabis benefits for arthritis sufferers – research

TVNZ One News 23 May 2020
Family First Comment: The science doesn’t always back the hype (or the smokescreen).
“We found two trials that looked at cannabis based products in arthritis… and there was no evidence really from either of those trials that they made a difference in the arthritis condition” – Medical Research Institute of NZ
#followthemoney

Some arthritis sufferers claim cannabis products provide them the most effective pain relief, but new research says there isn’t enough scientific evidence to show it’s safe or effective.

One in six New Zealanders has arthritis and Arthritis NZ’s Francesca Holloway says pain is one of the biggest issues.

Medicinal cannabis is now available with a prescription from your doctor and anecdotally, some say their most effective source of pain relief comes from cannabis products or medicinal cannabis.

“There’s certainly interest in it,” Ms Holloway told 1 NEWS.

“We have a number of consumers who expressed interest or have used [it] themselves.”

But scientific proof is another thing. There have been a number of trials on mice but human trials are scarce and not encouraging.

“We found two trials that looked at cannabis based products in arthritis… and there was no evidence really from either of those trials that they made a difference in the arthritis condition,” the Medical Research Institute of NZ’s Dr Irene Braithwaite says.
READ MORE: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/lack-evidence-supporting-medicinal-cannabis-benefits-arthritis-sufferers-research
twitter follow us

 

The clear evidence that marijuana doesn’t make you mellow and relaxed…

With the debate on legalising marijuana well under way, the common perception of the dope user is a relaxed mellow chilled-out smoker – just minding their own business. Love, peace and harmony.

That is far from the truth. Since launching our campaign to educate and encourage kiwi families to investigate the full evidence and harms of legalisation, we’ve received some lovely messages of support interesting messages.

WARNING: Explicit language and content.

and here’s the one we’re referring to the authorities….

Disturbing. People are more than welcome to challenge us on our views and debate the issue – but preferably using words with more than 4-letters. And without encouraging us to commit suicide.

Is this the real effect of marijuana that ex-New York Times journalist Alex Berenson has highlighted in his new book?

“An eye-opening report from an award-winning author and former New York Times reporter reveals the link between teenage marijuana use and mental illness, and a hidden epidemic of violence caused by the drug—facts the media have ignored as the United States rushes to legalize cannabis.”

We’ve invited Mr Berenson to NZ. Urgently.