And now this from Dunne in NZ Doctors......sigh

While I am speaking about drugs, let me make two additional comments. The National Drug Policy is currently being reviewed and I am expecting to release the revised policy shortly.

It will largely build on what is already in place, and will demonstrate a coherent, and integrated approach to the health issues associated with illicit drug use. The issue of medicinal cannabis has also been in the news of recent days.

Let me reiterate that my recent decision to authorise the use of a particular product in a particular case has no greater implications than that. There has been no change in policy, nor opening of the floodgates, and those who assume a new precedent has been established are mistaken.

This case proceeded according to the long standing procedures which enable clinicians to seek approval for the prescription of certain otherwise restricted products in specific circumstances. There has been no change to that procedure, and any future cases that arise will be treated strictly on their individual merits, with no assumptions of an automatic favourable outcome.

I have received anecdotal reports of clinicians refusing to apply for permission to prescribe Sativex, due to the stigma associated with it being a cannabinoid-based product. I hope these reports are mistaken.

It is my expectation that clinicians will act in the best interests of their patients, regardless of any associated stigma that may exist.

As I said to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting in Vienna earlier this year, I believe it is essential that we address the issue of medicinal cannabis on its merits, and as a global community. I have asked my officials to look into the evidence and efficacy for cannabis as a medicinal or therapeutic relief.

But I have to say that based on the evidence provided to me, I have grave reservations about the efficacy of cannabis for the vast majority of indications that it is being put forward for. My concerns do not stem from a personal antipathy towards the drug – despite the sneers of my many critics on this issue, I am quite agnostic.

Rather, they stem from the very real likelihood that many sufferers – and in many cases they are children, are being given false hope that cannabis use will significantly ameliorate their symptoms, their pain and their reduced quality of life.

We have to do better, and shut out all emotion or personal prejudice and concentrate purely on the reputable, proven facts, of which there as yet few, when reaching long-term decisions.
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2015/june-2015/12/-NZMA-General-Practitioners-Conference-Speech.aspx

I think there are some key elements which the wider population are forgetting in supporting Medical Cannabis, a couple of those are that it should be treated like any pharamceutical, it isnt a 1 product (such as sativex) could benefit any one condition, and yes research has been done to some extent over the years but not really until the last 2 years whereas as many know it is largely legal under various regimes globaly, my point is - it is hard to understand and comprehend the medicinal values of the Cannabis plant when just one compound THC has largely been focused on and mostly for its negative recreational aspects from our Governement largely and others globally, there are over 480 compounds in the plant all of which have various roles and THC works with those other compounds in whats known as the entourage effect
The other point is that in order for government officials or those within the ministry of health and medicial professionals to support a patient in using Medical Cannabis they need to have a understanding of how to do that and feel supported in doing so, ratios and strains would need to be understood as possibly benefiting what conditions as well as possible contraindications, and globally thats still largely unknown

Lastly, I cannot even understand how the product Elixinol was approved:

1. There was an expose done on the company that produced Elixinol a while back that reported unfavorable side effects from several users. There were lawsuits filed against the authors of the report and the point of contention of the article was the test results that reportedly showed contaminants in the oil, and was later retracted by the lab that did the testing. The issue which survives any testing issue was the negative side effects some experienced.
2. Elixinol is derived from Industrial Hemp, versus Cannabis, which I believe to be less desirable.
3. There have been very good results in treating patients with various seizure related conditions, and at times, the highest CBD ratio is not as effective as some which contain slight amounts of THC. Cannabis derived medicines do have varying amounts of THC, and Cannabis therapies are very individual in treatment and some patients require different formulations.

Myself I feel the only way forward is NZ based cultivation, production and research whereas some kind of compassionate access is at least considered for cases such as these, and yes a coma is very serious, however there are thousands of New Zealanders that have exhausted every available medical option here in NZ and from which could possibly benefit, these peoples health conditions are often life-limiting or terminal