New Zealand passes new medical cannabis law News
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New Zealand passes new medical cannabis law

The government of New Zealand passed a law that removes many restrictions on medical cannabis on Tuesday. While it will take up to a year for the new regulations and licensing policies established by the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill to be rolled out, the law also establishes an exception and statutory defense for people who are terminally ill to possess and use cannabis that will take effect immediately.

Additionally, the law fully decriminalizes cannabidiol (CBD) products, allows medical marijuana products to be manufactured in New Zealand and empowers the Governor-General to establish regulatory standards for cannabis products. According to the Health Committee Report, commenters overwhelmingly supported permitting terminally ill patients access to cannabis products, with 96 percent of them in support of the implementation of quality standards.

Such regulations could pave the way for local and international companies to enter the New Zealand medical cannabis market. The national government is expected to hold a referendum on recreational marijuana in the next two years.

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On August 27, 1928, representatives of thirty-two nations gathered in Paris signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, renouncing war as an instrument of national policy and agreeing to the peaceful settlement of disputes between them. Frank B. Kellogg, the US Secretary of State who proposed the treaty, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in 1929. The treaty's exceptions and qualifications, however, and the absence of any means of enforcement, ultimately guaranteed its failure. Review the text of the Kellogg-Briand pact.