Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to recommence the discussion on certification in which, if you recall, I was setting the framework that the bill is absent on this, and I was saying that it serves as a good example of the legislative laziness that the media have coined around the medicinal cannabis scheme that this bill authorises and that the Minister is proposing.

I was making the point that, already, not only have medical practitioners struggled with defining and diagnosing palliation but, mysteriously, medical practitioners and nurse practitioners are to certify the same, which is that the person who requires palliation may procure, possess, consume, or smoke, etc. It seems to me that the first thing you would do is understand the work flow for this, and you would reach out to those who are actually going to do the certifying and say, “How would you do that?”, and that’s what we did.

Progress to be reported presently.

House resumed.

The Chairperson reported progress on the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill, no progress on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (Monetary Policy) Amendment Bill, no progress on the Earthquake Commission Amendment Bill, and no progress on the Coroners (Access to Body of Dead Person) Amendment Bill.

Report adopted.

Sitting suspended from 9.59 p.m. to 9 a.m. (Thursday)