For…

Which is true sometimes.

Where I get grumpy (alright grumpier) is the idea that 95% of the scientific community is say X, but Mr Concerned of Mt…

Dear Mr Dung

Your application for a special dispensation to prevent a citizen of New Zealand from freely smoking whatever substances he wants to smoke in his own home has been DECLINED for the following reasons:

1) Not enough…

Absolutely. But what actions that "taking into account" leads to are far more complex than just taking the advice of whoever produced that evidence. In the same way that a courtroom…

No, but it sure would help.

I am enjoying this argument.

Agreed.

I'm not really making a big passionate argument. Just that there are some things that can't really be evidence based, such as funding the arts, or Rugby World Cups or much of what…

I'd never thought about this before, but you're right.

So ... you agree with me that our representatives need to take into account evidence when they make laws.

Dude that's all I want and that's all I said.

The problem with the…

I can't speak for Matthew, but I think this is an overly simplistic representation of his argument. It's more just a rejection of what you are saying is a straw man, that…

For the system, Sativex's overwhelming…

And you are conflating science and the pursuit of data with the data itself.

At no point did I suggest a meritocracy or rule by scientists so arguing against that is pointless.…

I tend to agree with Matthew about this one, Craig. But it's typically cross-purposed, since we can have both evidence based policy and a democracy at the same time, if the democratically elected leaders (and/or the underlying public that elected…

I don't think anyone thought Helen Kelly wasn't at least aware of the political importance of her application. I got the feeling that the article somewhat overstated the political motivations.

It's interesting, but the vibe is it was offered to the journalist because it makes the ministry look better.

You really do need to find a new club to beat with.

I think the answer lies in your question ;-)

Ah, interesting.

If “the people” or their representatives are slow or irrational in their reactions to real-world problems, there must be real-world consequences from that; and it is the responsibility of a government to…

Bollocks.

In the first place I never suggested a "sciencocracy" (sic) the word you are looking for is meritocracy where roles would be…

No we won't, and nor would it even be desirable. We're a democracy not a sciencocracy and the demos are entitled to be slow to reach conclusions – or even irrational – if they want to be.

It would be a good idea to…

Damn straight!

spell check FTW :)

I don't have a problem with that. We banned lolly cigarettes for kids years ago, and we don't let them buy no nicotine herbal cigarettes that I know of.

Mind you the kids can buy and love Shandy Bass…

I thought it might be. But the MoH page on medical cannabis doesn’t quote the Medicines Act, it quotes the Misuse of Drugs Act.

And the Medicines regulations list it as a “prescription medicine”. Am I right in seeing a dubious basis for making…

Off-topic but
Love the Hakanoa Ginger beer ~1% alcohol, I'm betting they don't even measure it.

0% alcohol beer contains 0% alcohol, but is not sold to minors (really, try to get it at Countdown if you look under age). Probably even more analogous.

I hope, but don't hold your breath. Whether or not you inhaled ;)

Brewed ginger beer will contain small traces of alcohol, but is sold to minors. Correct? Analogous?

Meanwhile it's sad that the bureaucrats are all so risk averse. It seems like everyone in the chain is completely paranoid about making any call. And that means the only person willing to make a decision is the minister who is extremely unlikely…