Less suffering for New Zealanders as medicinal cannabis legislation passes

The Green Party welcomes the passage of medicinal cannabis legislation that provides certainty and clarity to patients and their whānau.

“This is a huge day for New Zealanders in pain and suffering who’ve been denied the only medicine that works for them”, Green Party drug law reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said today.

“Too many New Zealanders are going into debt to access expensive big pharma products, or being turned into criminals in having to access an unregulated black market for cannabis.

“Through negotiation with Labour and NZ First parties we've managed to guarantee certainty for patients and their whānau that a local licencing, production, prescription and consumption regime will be established by the end of next year.

“Additionally, 25,000 New Zealanders in palliative care will no longer be threatened by criminal sanctions for using medicinal cannabis to ease their pain.

“We’ve also made sure that local New Zealand strains of medicinal cannabis can be used in the scheme so that a domestic market can develop rather than us relying on imported products.

“Over the past year I’ve heard from hundreds of New Zealanders whose lives this will improve. I’m sure all of my Parliamentary colleagues engaged in this debate have heard the same stories. Today’s law is compassion in action, with a strong footing in evidence-based policy.

“Today we move towards delivering on something the Greens have worked on for decades. Today is for champions and advocates like Helen Kelly, Rose Renton, Rebecca Reider, Nandor Tanczos and so many more bold and brave New Zealanders.”

Action

Submit for Climate Action

Submit today to ask the Government to commit to strong Climate Change targets.

Action

Treaty Principles - Make a submission

Join our submission. Let's make it clear that we do not support the Treaty Principles bill.

Action

Ditch the Bootcamps - Sign our petition

Sign our petition demanding an end to bootcamps for children.

Action

Build Dunedin Hospital

Take our poll on how the Government should spend its money, and email Christopher Luxon telling him your thoughts.

Action

Oil & Gas Quick Submissions 2024

Sign the quick submission to save the oil & gas ban!

Action

Stop Fast-track Destruction

Join our call to stop the Fast-track Approvals Bill.

Action

Protect te reo Māori

Sign our petition asking Minister Erica Stanford to keep prioritising the teaching of te reo Māori.

Action

Cut the Coal Petition | Join the movement

Fight back: Tell the government that coal mining is not our future.

Action

Protect Our Freshwater

Join our Green MPs in calling for the government to protect freshwater. Proposed changes to the Resource Management Act threaten New Zealand's...

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Health Announcements

Story

Covid Inquiry report underlines need to invest in Health

The Green Party says the report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 Response underlines the need for proper investment in our he...

End of free RAT tests means more exposure to virus

The end of free Rapid Antigen Tests today is another sign the Government is giving up on the challenge of protecting the community from Covid-19.

Greens stand in solidarity with Buller community

The Green Party stands in solidarity with the Buller community in its silent protest for better healthcare.

A step forward on cancer drug funding but more to do

The Green Party welcomes the announcement of more funding for cancer treatments and medicines, however, calls for more to be done to address the se...

Scrapping Māori Health Authority tramples over Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Green Party condemns the Government’s latest trashing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in rushing through legislation, without any public input, that wi...

Cruel move to put tobacco profit over people’s health

Sacrificing the health of our rangatahi to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy few is a deeply cynical move and shows this Government is more influenc...