After eight years as president of the Council of Trade Unions, Helen Kelly has a lot to be proud of.

LISTEN ABOVE: Helen Kelly joins the Mike Hosking Breakfast with ASB to discuss her resignation

She's stepping down this week, knowing she wouldn't be able to see through another four year term, due to her terminal lung cancer.

Helen Kelly said the time is right.

She's proud of her work over the years to make unions accessible to all groups of workers.

Helen Kelly is also very pleased with the health and safety work she's been part of.

"I'm very pleased with the health and safety work that we've done, and none of its done just by me - its a team. And I think the profile of the Union movement has been quite high over the last two years as well."

Kelly will make a formal application next week, to be granted access to medicinal cannabis.

She said comments made by Peter Dunne and John Key on the medicinal cannabis matter are excuses made on sand - with no real reason for why access should be denied.

Helen Kelly said doctors should be the ones making this medical decision.