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Media: Hart: Let GPs prescribe medical cannabis

First published: Wairarapa Times Age 9 Feb 2017

Wairarapa Green Party candidate John Hart supports the move, but would like the process made available to general practitioners, not restricted to specialists.

“Rural areas like Wairarapa should have the same access to prescription medicines as the rest of New Zealand. Our GPs can already prescribe opiates, so they would be perfectly capable of prescribing one of the listed, regulated medicinal cannabis products if they see benefits for their patients.”

“People who are sick or dying should have access to medicinal cannabis products as easily and as cheaply as they do any other prescription drug – the announcement today doesn’t allow that to happen.”

Full Green press release is here https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/medical-cannabis-changes-positive-small-step

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Reply to Jon Morgan

A reality check for Jon Morgan in response to his editorial “Dairy farmers unfairly cop the blame over water quality“

I’m not sure how factual events, like the Selwyn River being declared unsafe to swim in, or DairyNZ not having a complaint against Greenpeace upheld, represent “unfair attacks on dairy farming”. They are simply reality.

It’s a shame that Mr Morgan has tried to derail the discussion by interpreting any criticism of the impacts of the dairy industry as a personal attack on “dairying families”. No industry should be above criticism, and while I don’t believe it’s fair to attack all farmers, we have to be able to have these conversations if farming is to retain its “social license” to operate. The dairy industry (especially its commentators, leaders and industry bodies) ignore public perception at their peril. Continue reading “Reply to Jon Morgan”