Warren-Clark AngieANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. Gosh isn't it amazing? Nine long years—Dr Shane Reti spends a few months and he comes up with a solution. Where were the Opposition when they were in Government for those nine long years talking about how evil this drug was—how evil it was?It's a pleasure to take a call on the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill. It's a real pleasure because I believe that this is what the community has been asking for and also what we made a promise about and we've kept our promise.Hon Shane Jones: Promise-keepers.ANGIE WARREN-CLARK: Promise-keepers—absolutely. Look I would really like to thank the submitters and I have spoken in this House before about how harrowing some of those stories were and also how gracious those people were to share those stories with us—their stories of pain and anguish and illness and about how amazing medicinal cannabis was for those people.I want to also acknowledge and talk about one of the things that I am particularly pleased about which is the extension. The original definition that we had was that people were able to access medicinal cannabis with THC in it if they had less than 12 months to live. We had some submitters who talked to us about when they are in that situation where they have a terminal illness they don't like to limit themselves by saying that it's going to be less than 12 months that they are going to live. So it caused a real barrier for people and rightly so: when you're fighting for your life people do not want to say that they have less than 12 months to live. So I'm really pleased that we have had an extension into palliative care which will increase people's ability to use cannabis and utensils without fear of conviction—a defence if you will.Now if those people choose to smoke good on them—good on them. They're in palliative care. That is very very different from just saying Help yourself to a big fat doobie someday."Hon Dr Nick Smith: Well that's what you're saying.ANGIE WARREN-CLARK: No I'm not saying that Mr Smith. What I would like to say is they have the ability to use and access that product in whatever way gives them comfort and use—a lot of people in Nelson.What I would also like to say is that while the stories were often very traumatic there was one very light moment and I wanted to just raise this because I think it's important that we keep our sense of humour at times. I asked the question having come from Northland what "fruit" and "flowers" were and I had this young chap jump up. He has a licence to carry hemp. He comes rushing to the table and points out to me what flowers and fruit are. Now flowers and fruit for those people who come from Northland—that is bud and seed. It was very interesting to have that description and to talk about the fact that this was not a product—was not a product—that was going to get someone high; it had less than 2 percent THC in it and therefore I was able to be instructed.This bill provides an exemption and a statutory defence. It provides a regulation-making power to enable the setting of the standards and it deschedules cannabinoid—CBD. I think that this is the beginning of a conversation that we are mature enough to have in this country and I am pleased to commend this bill to the House."