Pubdate: Wed, 21 May 2014
Source: Taranaki Daily News (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2014 Fairfax New Zealand Limited
Contact:  http://www.thedailynews.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1056
Page: 3

PLANT EXPERT BACKS MEDICAL CANNABIS

An international horticulturist is calling for cannabis to be 
legalised for medicinal use.

Dr Mike Nichols, who has travelled around the world consulting on 
horticulture, is a member of the International Society for 
Horticultural Science and former Massey University horticultural lecturer.

Earlier this month, the health select committee at Parliament 
considered a petition asking it to look at the decriminalisation of 
cannabis for pain relief and managing symptoms of chronic illness.

The petition said that, unlike opioids, cannabis did not need to be 
taken in increased dosages to maintain pain relief.

Nichols said cannabis had many benefits.

He said many people reacted badly to pain-relief drugs, and cannabis 
could provide pain relief they needed, as well as be an appetite 
stimulant for people who needed nutrition.

"When people get to 80, they often need to have a better appetite. 
And so do AIDS/HIV sufferers. Cannabis does this  have you heard of 
the munchies? And opiates often make people constipated. Cannabis does not."

Nichols said cannabis was legal for medicinal purposes in about half 
the states of the United States and New Zealand should follow.

Nichols is 80 years old, and said more people were coming out in 
support of cannabis use for medicinal purposes. He said he could only 
talk about medicinal use of the drug, rather than recreational use.

He said there was potential for some tax gains if cannabis use was 
legalised for medicinal use.

"Colorado is a similar population to New Zealand and gets $70 million 
tax from cannabis sales."

Nichols said New Zealand had missed an opportunity to grow the opium 
poppy for legal morphine.

"Trials were done in New Zealand 50 years ago and yields were high. 
There was strong possibility of growing the crop here. But we missed 
out and now Tasmania produces half the world's medicinal morphine."

Trials have started again in Canterbury, and they could be 50 years 
too late, Nichols said.

Fairfax NZ
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