Reti ShaneMISUSE OF DRUGS (MEDICINAL CANNABIS) AMENDMENT BILL (NO 2)First ReadingDr SHANE RETI (National): I move That the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a first time. I nominate the Health Committee to consider the bill. It's a pleasure to speak to this bill in my name the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill (No 2). Two years ago this Labour Government said at the first reading of their medicinal cannabis bill this bill will make medicinal cannabis more readily available". Unfortunately this has failed. I do not see one single new medicinal cannabis product enabled by their bill on the shelves for New Zealanders over these past two years. Other failures of incomplete policy are a failure to educate GPs. Patients and industry experts tell me that they are at the mercy of expensive cannabis doctors who are now selling low-quality cannabis gummies online in New Zealand and cannabidiol CBD still needs to find an affordable and accessible pathway. What we have got is not at all what New Zealanders wanted or expect from a medicinal cannabis framework or what I believe this House envisaged. So how can this member's bill help? Let me set the objective for this bill. I bring this member's bill in my name to the House tonight in full knowledge that legislation and regulations have already been passed but in the belief that they can be made better. In this knowledge we are asking that this bill be sent to select committee for whatever the best parts are to be considered.Here is a one-sentence summary of what brought us to this place. In July 2018 Labour and National presented their medicinal cannabis bills which went head to head. Labour passed all the details to regulations that were still to be determined and we drafted the detail into this bill for public and parliamentary scrutiny and we committed to retail products on the shelves in one year. Two years on and there are no new medicinal cannabis products on the shelves from this legislation. Two years lost one in forming the regulations and one in complying with them and no hope in sight for immediate relief. The promise has fallen far short. I will draw three features from my member's bill around how the existing framework can be made better. Here are six proposals from the bill for how retail accessibility and affordability can be accelerated. The first is positioning of low-dose medicinal cannabis products on the over-the-counter framework. Secondly provisional consenting from Medsafe. Thirdly follow-up clinical trials—phase zero phase one and phase two only. Fourthly controlled importing of approved quality low-dose product. Five GP prescribing without specialist co-signing. And six pharmacy dispensing as is done in the US. We also need to tighten up regulations around licence eligibility and locations. It is wrong that an inmate who is currently in prison for a serious offence such as murder is eligible for a medicinal cannabis licence and that active gang members can be employed in the industry. It is also wrong that medicinal cannabis can be grown beside a wāhi tapu and a school.Here are suggestions then from this bill tightening up the regulations to make this framework more enduring. For licence holders there must be no history of a serious offence no history of controlled drug habituation and no associations adverse to the intent of the bill. This is very similar to what Australia does. For employees they should not be currently addicted or habituated and not currently an active gang member. There is a very clear and overwhelming association between gangs and the drug trade. The Attorney-General has formed an interpretation on this point that while there is a clear connection between gangs and drugs the prohibition on their employment is not a proportional response to the rights of freedom of association. I disagree and I suggest we put this to the court of public opinion—if they think active gang members should be employed in the medicinal cannabis industry. Finally locations where medicinal cannabis can be currently grown are wrong. It should not be allowed to be grown alongside a wāhi tapu school or residential area. In summary it's disappointing that after two years there is still not affordable and accessible access to medicinal cannabis products in New Zealand. As the sponsor of this bill I have the privilege of selecting the speakers amongst a caucus completely unanimously behind this bill. I've asked the Hon Simon Bridges and Chris Bishop to offer contributions as key people in getting this bill here tonight and I thank them and my caucus colleagues.To conclude in progressing this body of work I believe we have contributed usefully to the debate on medicinal cannabis and I commend this bill to the House."