Minister criticises pro-cannabis groups over medicinal marijuana

The Associate Health Minister has weighed in on the medicinal marijuana debate criticising pro-cannabis groups as “misleading and emotive”.

Peter Dunne says the claims from pro-cannabis groups that the Government is blocking research into medicinal marijuana is wrong.

“That is not only absolutely wrong but also shows a woeful ignorance of the process for approving any new medicinal products,” says Mr Dunne.

This comes after the issue was put into the spotlight on TVNZ’s Sunday and Breakfast programmes when a Kiwi dad spoke out asking the Government to “step up” and reassess its laws on medicinal marijuana, saying the positive effect it has had on his daughter has exceeded his expectations.

Brent Gallien, the father of an 11-year-old who suffers from a rare and severe form of epilepsy, says his daughter was suffering several seizures every day before she was prescribed a cannabis extract called Sativex.

Mr Gallien says there are better products that have a far less risk of causing negative side effects but the Government has so far refused to approve them.

But Mr Dunn says if cannabis is sought for its medicinal benefits, then it must be subject to the same rigour and testing that’s expected of all pharmaceutical products. He says consumers need to be directing their questions to the pharmaceutical industry not the government.

“The fact is the government does not oppose the trial and development of cannabis-based medicines, as the availability of Sativex on the New Zealand market already shows.”

Here’s a paraphrase of Peter Dunne’s position about this time last year when he voted to enact the Psychoactive Substances Act, a vile piece of legislation, and Dunne himself was its chief architect.

Mr Dunn says if synthetic cannabis is sought for its recreational benefits, then it need not be subject to the same rigour and testing that’s expected of all other pharmaceutical products. He says if you’ve already been selling it for three months or more and no one’s complained yet then it can stay on the shelves.

Reread the paragraph below to fully comprehend the scale of the double standard now on show.

But Mr Dunn says if cannabis is sought for its medicinal benefits, then it must be subject to the same rigour and testing that’s expected of all pharmaceutical products. He says consumers need to be directing their questions to the pharmaceutical industry not the government.

I do believe that when we read

The Associate Health Minister has weighed in on the medicinal marijuana debate criticising pro-cannabis groups as “misleading and emotive”.

we are seeing a disordered personality engaging in projection, the ascription of one’s own faults and failings to others. Dunne is the one whose utterings on drug policy have ever been misleading and emotive.

Regardless, Dunne’s criticism of pro-cannabis groups is the height of insolence for a public servant, especially in view of the fact that his drug policy is manifestly not in the best interests of those whom he is supposed to serve. He treats those who rightly criticise his policy and those who suffer under it with utter contempt. This is characteristic behaviour for Peter Dunne.

It’s nothing new. In 2006, Dunne responded to medicinal cannabis user Greg Soar’s pleas with

This garbage is not worth replying to

and recently, Dunne pulled his head out of the sand long enough to tell us

I have yet to see any evidence that cannabis in any form has contributed in any way to help children, or indeed anyone, recover from serious diseases.

I hope Dunne watched the recent Sunday program on ONE about Charlotte’s Web. He needs to educate himself about the many and varied therapeutic uses of medicinal cannabis. His wilful ignorance and wanton denial are epic.

Dunne is not worth re-electing. I look forward to bidding good riddance to bad rubbish this September 20.