Is New Zealand considering legalizing cannabis?

New Zealand Will it change its laws regarding cannabis? ? After deciding to lift restrictions on cannabis used for medicinal purposes, Deputy Health Minister Peter Dunne, who had long been opposed to cannabis, announced that a small but significant change might be coming to cannabis laws. He also announced that the cannabidiol will be reclassified so that general practitioners can prescribe it to patients.

Industrial hemp has been legal in New Zealand since 2006. However, growers may only sell hemp seeds for food purposes.

Richard Barge, a member of the New Zealand Hemp Industries Association (NZHIA)) believes that the announcement by the Deputy Minister of Health is a major step toward the full legalization of medical cannabis. He stated: «There are immense opportunities for growers: we’re talking about raw materials here. Everything should revolve around cannabis cultivation, fiber processing, or even cleaning and drying seeds. This creates opportunities for entrepreneurs and individuals to invest in this infrastructure.» New Zealand does, in fact, have much of the infrastructure, the will, and the expertise needed to begin cultivating medical cannabis.

However, Peter Dunne also noted that 'there is a lot of work to be done to raise awareness among doctors about cannabis—not only regarding CBD, but also on the broader topic of cannabis-based medicines. »We’ve been in discussions with the medical association for some time now to provide doctors with better information.» He also clarified that he was discussing only the medical use of cannabis, but that the debate surrounding recreational use «goes hand in hand.»

Canada is often compared to New Zealand (both countries are members of the Commonwealth). The Canadian government will legalize recreational cannabis by July 1, 2018. . This future legalization is expected to quickly generate more than $600 million a year, which will boost state revenues but could also prompt New Zealand to reconsider its cannabis laws.

Mehdi Bautier