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Medicinal cannabis supplies may run out after police poison crops

Author
Newstalk ZB ,
Publish Date
Tue, 12 Feb 2019, 3:43PM
Medicinal cannabis supplies are in short supply after a police aerial cull. (Photo / Getty)

Medicinal cannabis supplies may run out after police poison crops

Author
Newstalk ZB ,
Publish Date
Tue, 12 Feb 2019, 3:43PM

Those who use medicinal cannabis illegally are concerned that their supplies are running out. 

Radio New Zealand reports that 1200 cannabis plants in Northland were poisoned last month in an aerial cull that has been blamed on police. 

Police have refused to comment on their involvement in the drops, but local growers say that they will continue as long as the drug remains a black market activity.

The crops would have gone towards people who can't afford the high prices to obtain cannabis oil legally. 

Talkback callers told Andrew Dickens that cannabis has helped them or friends of theirs as they deal with pain. 

Caller Gee says that a friend of his uses the cannabis oil to help tend with seizures as he battled cancer.

He says that he has seen a shortage over the last two weeks, and that it has become more difficult to obtain it. Gee says that they will have to go black market in order to 

"It sucks. Why can't we have it?" 

Chronic pain patient Lisa says that people like her need medicinal cannabis, and she is disappointed that Labour has not yet made it legal, and is not happy to wait for a referendum. 

"So people are going to get it for pleasure at the same time as I get it for pain?"

She says that she can't wait until the end of 2019 for it to be legal, and that she cannot afford to obtain it either. 

That was a call echoed by many others, who say that the cost for the oil, around $900, is not affordable for them. The cost is particularly high for callers such as Susan, who is disabled and unable to work. 

She wants to see the Government subsidise the drugs so that people can actually use it. 

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