Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Who are the medicinal cannabis users?

Craig Young

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 10:31:00 +1200

He's baaa-aacck. But why did Scoop have to feature this riposte to Helen Clark's endorsement of cannabis decriminalisation? I know who I believe and it isn't a fundamentalist Christian activist who has no relevant qualifications or expertise in professional areas related to this issue: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1909/S00041/the-case-for-no-in-the-2020-referendum-on-cannabis.htm

Craig Young

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 10:27:56 +1200

Now this is facile. Some subspecies of recreational cannabis than others. However, cannabis use is dropping amongst adolescents according to current New Zealand and other data:
https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2019/08/teens-who-use-concentrated-marijuana-more-likely-to-use-other-drugs/

Craig Young

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 11:15:10 +1200

If it's any consolation, strategic management isn't Family First's forte. They can be combatted with consistent, strategically planned on message lobbying, media monitoring and prompt response. It worked against him when it came to marriage equality and the ban against parental corporal punishment, it'll work against him here. Bob never…

Craig Young

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 09:57:01 +1200

Sorry, as usual Family First is weaving all over the place, given that it can't decide whether to prioritise anti-abortion activism or opposing decriminalisation of cannabis for personal use.ie

https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2019/08/hospitalisation-for-marijuana-continues-to-increase/
https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2019/08/new-zealand-cannabis-hospitalisations-more-than-double-in-decade-ministry-of-health/

Sacha

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 08:57:25 +1200

Illustrates how to not support something as a government – be quiet and let opponents fill the space. CGT, anyone?

Craig Young

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 10:45:43 +1200

Is this a particularly credible opinion poll, do you think?: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/08/new-poll-suggests-recreational-cannabis-referendum-won-t-pass.html

Craig Young

Sat, 17 Aug 2019 08:46:43 +1200

Adolescent cannabis use is becoming uncool, especially amongst Maori youth: https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/16-08-2019/weed-is-going-out-of-fashion-and-maori-kids-are-leading-the-way/

Craig Young

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 08:59:13 +1200

Cannabis use is declining amongst New Zealand teenagers: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/cannabis-use-among-kiwi-high-school-students-has-declined-new-research-finds

Joe Boden

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 09:46:41 +1200

Is this a fair argument? Some would say that there has been ample discussion of the pros and cons of the decriminalisation/legalisation of personal cannabis use within the New Zealand media: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@ideasroom/2019/08/13/751236/cannabis-legalisation-ok-idea-bad-timing

The argument is ok – a cautious approach is not usually a bad thing – but the author…

Craig Young

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 08:58:47 +1200

Joe Boden

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 10:33:59 +1200

I can now report that given Andrew Little’s announcement about imminent abortion law liberalisation, Family First regards pandering to vicious misogynist religious fanatics over women’s reproductive choices to take precedence over prohibiting personal use of recreational cannabis. Bob isn’t too good at strategic planning and multiple issue management. He’s asking…

Craig Young

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 09:45:04 +1200

I can now report that given Andrew Little's announcement about imminent abortion law liberalisation, Family First regards pandering to vicious misogynist religious fanatics over women's reproductive choices to take precedence over prohibiting personal use of recreational cannabis. Bob isn't too good at strategic planning and multiple issue management. He's asking…

Sacha

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 11:33:46 +1200

onya, Joe

Craig Young

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 11:00:30 +1200

Most health practitioners believe that GPs should be encouraged to prescribe CBD-based cannabinoid medical products: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12254849&fbclid=IwAR387uYS8JKv3BjFaHpnZbFgNomh1I35o7PpeFqam4z9TmlVyR1s3qxFEIM

andin

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 09:44:47 +1200

So thats McCoskrie in person? Looks and sounds like your average kiwi bloke type, and then the paranoid, scare mongering spouts forth.

andin

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 09:37:39 +1200

Good news looking forward to the report.

Joe Boden

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 10:38:19 +1200

I'm pleased to be able to announce that I have been appointed by the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor to the Expert Panel on Cannabis.

https://www.pmcsa.ac.nz/our-projects/cannabis/

Craig Young

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 10:33:14 +1200

McCoskrie again, scaremongering over cannabis edibles. I think that insuring that these particular formats don't get across the line is reasonable, but it's no real reason for maintaining prohibition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2_E_99iR8Q&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0JZmdqWepnEFyF7f0Ga4f7TxcDTQIrDBFcVXKxTc7XfJN_hCRCwpDxtWo

Hilary Stace

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 11:33:29 +1200

Ministry of Health consultation information. Only a week to do it.
https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/medicinal-cannabis-scheme-consultation?fbclid=IwAR1a3HrrGaRSG3GxWDH_DM4b7gY-jNCx99OhQ5yhpltj-T-uvdoWiLcGIew

Craig Young

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 09:37:04 +1200

Meanwhile, the government is finalising the details of its 2020 cannabis decriminalisation referendum: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/395503/parliamentary-bill-enables-cannabis-referendum-process

Joe Boden

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 09:54:40 +1200

Family First telling porkies about cannabis psychosis?! Can it be…well, yes, it is: https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/26-07-2019/family-first-rebuked-for-non-fact-based-activity-over-cannabis-psychosis-claims/

I got quite a few messages thanking me for that. :D

Craig Young

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:12:20 +1200

andin

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 11:30:35 +1200

Its in the mail ;-)

Joe Boden

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:02:10 +1200

Apparently, cannabis law reform initiatives are being directly funded by liberal US billionaire George Soros!!! Oh look, everyone… conspiracy theories…: https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2019/07/george-soros-real-crusade-legalizing-marijuana-in-the-u-s-and-nz/

Where's my cheque? :D

Craig Young

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 08:23:56 +1200

Apparently, cannabis law reform initiatives are being directly funded by liberal US billionaire George Soros!!! Oh look, everyone... conspiracy theories...: https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2019/07/george-soros-real-crusade-legalizing-marijuana-in-the-u-s-and-nz/

Joe Boden

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 15:59:31 +1200

Bob McCoskrie’s doing his yeah but no but routine on medicinal cannabis again: https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2019/07/medicinal-cannabis-false-hope-for-chronic-pain-sufferers-pain-doctors/

It’s starting to look like FF and the National Party are being backed by Pharma, who were the largest financial backers of the anti-cannabis lobby in the US. It’s well past time to have some investigative…

Craig Young

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 10:29:15 +1200

Bob McCoskrie's doing his yeah but no but routine on medicinal cannabis again: https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2019/07/medicinal-cannabis-false-hope-for-chronic-pain-sufferers-pain-doctors/

linger

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 23:01:02 +1200

Well, yes; and that social networking approach is the sampling technique in this case. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s better to be explicit about the possible impact when interpreting the results. E.g. more fully networked users (and/or your readers!) are likely to be more knowledgeable about the specifics of…

Russell Brown

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 22:19:22 +1200

Corollary 1: different survey techniques / data sources will capture different clusters with different levels of success (resulting in different overall demographic profiles for ethnicity, income, and range of medical conditions cited).

There wasn't really a survey technique possible here, it was just a matter of letting people know, in…

Alfie

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 12:59:46 +1200

The MoH has just released their consultation document on medicinal cannabis. There's a lot to take in but I see they're suggesting defining any grow under 200 sqm as "small". That's twice the size of our house!

linger

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 12:48:08 +1200

at least two different groups of people using
I think you’re right, medicinal users are more likely to be a collection of clusters than a single homogenous group. Not least because of barriers to access leading to disparate types of cannabis source (as you point out, past recreational users may…

mpledger

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 12:12:14 +1200

In this article, where the survey wasn't about medicinal cannabis,
https://www.nzma.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/49405/Pledger-2069-NZMJ-1433.pdf
Recreational users were more likely to be younger, male and Maori then medicinal users but males and Maori were still more likely to be medicinal users then females and non-Maori. That kinda makes sense – a person is more…

Smokey Smokersen

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 11:48:50 +1200

Anyone looking to up-skill their doctor could point them to this. Apologies if the link is weird.

https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/masterclass-in-medical-cannabis-with-prof-mike-barnes-md-auckland-tickets-62965542633?aff=efbneb&fbclid=IwAR3_26oEFgX1QKx3hg2hMlZnqPQs3H8C_i04drrDNES8vxlNAqnAosi5xpg

Shane Le Brun

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 13:28:49 +1200

I agree RE Bias, as a charity doing things on a shoestring budget calls had to be made, nevertheless the data, while self-selecting is better than the status quo which was absolutely no data on the finer points of use.

Medical Cannabis research of every kind seems to be thwarted…

linger

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 11:57:09 +1200

So what you’re describing is a coping mechanism whereby the cannabis allows some plausible deniability regarding the dementia?
That may well be of some psychological benefit, but most researchers would hesitate to assign “medical value” on that basis alone.

linger

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 21:18:23 +1200

The combination of (online questionnaire delivery) + (higher-than-average earners) + (knowledgeable about the topic) suggests a likely bias in the survey responses towards the educated middle class, and so (much as the results indicate) directed away from the stereotypical cannabis user. (Though specifically medicinal use should also skew older and,…

Public Address

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 21:18:23 +1200

Discussion from blog post.