Part of the problem is cost. Pharmac's bid to subsidise Sativex in 2015 was shut down by its own advisory committee – in part over fears of diversion for illicit use. The equivalent British regulator takes the opposite view and believes the risk of diversion is low.
But the high cost of products – as much as $1200 a month for Sativex – is also down to the complexity of importing the products, and the government is likely to at least signal a path to local growing and manufacture of cannabis medicines. Although it has been theoretically possible to grow for research purposes, potential producers say the barriers are currently too high.
The Weekend Herald understands there is one potential breakthrough for medical cannabis advocates. The ministry has been battling the evidence of another government agency, ESR, in insisting that that CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid derived from cannabis plant, is a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. That battle may be abandoned, which could in turn lead to CBD becoming an off-the-shelf product, as it is in Britain.
The New Zealand Medical Association recently released a new position statement on medical cannabis, criticising the current approvals system as "overly time-consuming and bureaucratic". The association noted that "the prohibitionist approach to cannabis" has hindered research into potential benefits and said it was "important that doctors engage in continuing education as the evidence regarding cannabis continues to evolve."
The NZMA also acknowledged the "wide range of risks" associated with cannabis itself, but said that "these need to be considered in a similar light to the risks and side-effect profile of existing medications."