The New Zealand Government has passed its medicinal cannabis bill, which will establish a regulated scheme for the research, growing and export of medical cannabis products.within a year and give those close to death a legal defence before then.
The bill, which gives terminally ill people a legal defence for using illicit cannabis products, has passed its third reading in Parliament on Tuesday (December 11).
The Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill also gives them a defence to possess utensils for using cannabis.
That defence comes into force as soon as the bill receives royal assent.
The bill passed just shy of a year since it was introduced to Parliament as part of the Government's100-day plan improve access to medicinal cannabis for terminally ill people and those in chronic pain.
