Push to relax cannabis laws growing

PROTEST: A cannabis smoker lights up outside of Parliament during national "J-Day" celebrations.

Depending on which side of the fence you sit, cannabis is either a generally harmless natural product or the precursor to a life of drug dependence, crime and mental illness.

But with attitudes toward the drug changing around the world, New Zealanders are pushing the Government to review its stance on the drug - especially when it comes to its use as a medicine.

Earlier this week, Rotorua mum Karen Jeffries told the Rotorua Daily Post she wanted cannabis oil legalised so she could give it to her sick 6-year-old disabled daughter. She said cannabis oil would have better side effects than the "concoction of chemicals" her daughter was taking, but she cannot test the drug while it is illegal in New Zealand.

Suffering from refractory seizure disorder, her daughter Zoe is dependent on several pharmaceutical drugs which make her drowsy and unresponsive.

More than 18 states in the US, and countries such as Israel, Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Canada allow access to medicinal cannabis and have more relaxed cannabis laws.

Colorado and Washington have both legalised and regulated cannabis sale and supply and Uruguay recently legalised the drug nationwide.

As a painkiller, studies have proven that cannabis is able to enhance appetite and reduce or suppress vomiting and has been recommended for medical conditions such as AIDS, glaucoma, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Drug use is not a 20th or 21st century phenomenon, the human race has been using drugs for medicinal, recreational and spiritual uses for thousands of years. Even Queen Victoria was reported to be a fan of cannabis.

Her physician declared cannabis as "one of the most valuable medicines we possess".

However, she was also reportedly addicted to opium and was also a cocaine user, as were many people in Victorian England.

There is no documented evidence of anyone overdosing on the drug, but it has been linked to the exacerbation of some mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Some would also argue that cannabis is a gateway drug and leads users to try other, more harmful drugs.

But, a 25-year study of 1000 Christchurch-born young people between the ages of 15 and 25 concluded "if the association arises because using cannabis increases contact with illegal drug markets, this is a ground for the decriminalisation or legalisation of cannabis.

"If, however, the association arises because using cannabis encourages young people to experiment with other illicit drugs, the results could be seen as supporting the prohibition of cannabis use."

According to the New Zealand Police website, cannabis is a depressant, along with alcohol.

"Cannabis is one of the most widely available illicit drugs in New Zealand.

"It comes from the Cannabis sativa plant and contains the active ingredient THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)."

It's sale, cultivation and supply is illegal in New Zealand under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.

It is a Class C drug, while cannabis oil - which is manufactured from the cannabis plant - is a Class B drug.

Penalties associated with cannabis range from a $500 fine for possession to a 14-year jail term for its supply or manufacture.

Cultivation of cannabis can result in a seven-year jail term or an immediate two years jail term and/or $2000 fine, depending on the amount.

According to government statistics, about 540,000 New Zealanders smoke it regularly, while 70,000 smoke it every day, despite the law.

A recent United Nations report stated that between 9 per cent and 14 per cent of the population in New Zealand and Australia use cannabis, making Australasians the biggest users of cannabis in the world.