Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Media Take: Medical cannabis on the media agenda

Katita

Sun, 20 Mar 2016 14:24:33 +1300

The whole thing needs sorting out, frankly

Not only does it need sorting out, ensuring that terminally ill people can access the medications that make getting to the end bearable is our duty. End of.

On a tangent ... I have been wondering why we aren't turning the argument on…

Russell Brown

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 11:51:31 +1300

There's also 20 year-old Alisha Butt, who has hers funded by the Northland DHB as of last month.

The whole thing needs sorting out, frankly.

Russell Brown

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 11:47:50 +1300

I can't speak for Greg and he has no obligation to say, but a few people have had success via Work & Income and ACC.

mpledger

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 21:36:25 +1300

@Greg Soar
Who pays for your sativex? Pharmac? Your DHB? The Ministry of Health? Or is it unclear?

Andrew Geddis

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:32:50 +1300

Because the defendant in Ms Grey's case was convicted of importing a class B drug after mailing the medpot to herself. Ms Grey then was successful in winning a discharge without conviction ... but I wouldn't count on this being the outcome every time (plus you still have to pay…

Greg Soar

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 15:33:32 +1300

It sometimes burns tongue and under tongue...wonder if spraying strong alcohol on membranes can lead to cancer :/

Greg Soar

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 15:26:49 +1300

Re sativex..see if your DHB wil onsale at no mark up = 897.00 per 22.5 days at max dosage

Greg Soar

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 15:25:21 +1300

I use Sativex and the maximum permitted dose is 12 sprays per day. At that rate the three pack of bottles ( only sold this way ) at 10ml per bottle lasts only 22.5 days not a whole month. It works great for nausea. For other uses I have no…

chris fowlie

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 10:33:12 +1300

Andrew, why do you think it has to be "on your person (but not by mail"?
I understood Sue Grey argued that for the purposes of the Act they were one and the same.

chris fowlie

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 10:30:12 +1300

Thanks for having me on Russell!

I'd say "lawfully obtained" is the key, as this is what the Misuse of Drugs Act actually says, even if MOH officials wish it doesn't. Alternatively patients can avoid international travel by having their lawfully obtained medicinal cannabis mailed to them, like Rebecca Reider.…

Shane Le Brun

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 10:28:19 +1300

All this talk of getting raw cannabis out of the states,(it cant be done, kids in Colorado cant even leave the state, let alone travel international) when we have 2 Canadian citizens lined up to test this....... stay tuned.....

Russell Brown

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 23:23:24 +1300

So about $700/month for the lowest dose and 3 times that much for maximum dose? With a minimum of $1400 per purchase. Expensive, definitely.

Huhana said she’d been able to source for as little as $1100, a month but that was still a lot more than the tramadol-morphine-etc cocktail she…

Sacha

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 21:24:48 +1300

Huhana Hickey has some interesting things to say on the show about costs. Great constructive discussion all round. Worth a watch Tues 10.15pm.

BenWilson

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 20:51:54 +1300

So about $700/month for the lowest dose and 3 times that much for maximum dose? With a minimum of $1400 per purchase. Expensive, definitely.

Russell Brown

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 15:00:59 +1300

A person need only apply to the Ministry of Health to get sativex.

Where officials will probably approve it. A recent OIA showed 105 approvals out of 120 applications. It's unusual for the use of an approved product to require so much jumping through hoops, but advisors are convinced it's…

Russell Brown

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 14:57:43 +1300

the site says 12 sprays a day is the maximum daily dose

Yeah, four would be a low-ish dose. Part of the problem is that it only sells in the 3 x 10ml pack, so it's quite an outlay for someone who may well be on a benefit.

mpledger

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 14:43:46 +1300

@bob daktari
A person need only apply to the Ministry of Health to get sativex. To get raw cannabis or any other cannabis product, that needs approval of the Minister of Health (but in effect it's delegated to Peter Dunne).

bob daktari

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 14:30:04 +1300

according to http://sativex.co.uk/

A new vial of Sativex contains about 90 sprays. Therefore, for someone taking four sprays a day, a vial should last around 22 days. Every pack of Sativex contains 3 vials.

the site says 12 sprays a day is the maximum daily dose

mpledger

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 14:22:54 +1300

The Netherlands' "Cannabisbureau" might be an alternative. They seem willing to supply
https://www.cannabisbureau.nl/english/import-and-export
... at a cost.

I'm guessing it would take a lawyer to make it all water tight at both ends.

BenWilson

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 14:14:47 +1300

up to $1400 for three 10ml bottles

How long does that last? It sounds like a tiny amount at face value, but if it's essentially pure cannabis oil, then it sounds like quite a lot. But I have no idea how much someone in chronic pain would be consuming. I'm…

Andrew Geddis

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 11:28:06 +1300

Of course, the Misuse of Drugs Act refers to controlled drugs being "lawfully obtained" in overseas jurisdictions, not "lawfully removed from" or "lawfully carried out of" them. So it isn't clear what the effect of these rules would be on people who take the risk of carrying medpot out of…

Russell Brown

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 11:11:12 +1300

Caveat, but. In that interview Dunne mentioned that it may not be “lawful” to take medpot out of the US due to Federal law. Not sure if that was a warning to travelers (“you may be busted in the US”)

He does seem to be correct, according to Airsafe:

Can…

Andrew Geddis

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:55:39 +1300

Yeah – it's just that simple!

Caveat, but. In that interview Dunne mentioned that it may not be "lawful" to take medpot out of the US due to Federal law. Not sure if that was a warning to travelers ("you may be busted in the US") or an indication that…

BenWilson

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:52:37 +1300

So you just need to make an international flight to the USA once a month as part of your pain relief...

Andrew Geddis

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:42:14 +1300

A case in which a judge discharged a woman who had mailed herself medical cannabis from the US, which might have slipped by, instead became the subject of serious legal debate.

Peter Dunne has confirmed in an interview with RNZ that my (and Sue Grey’s, the lawyer who argued the…

Public Address

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:42:14 +1300

Discussion from blog post.