GreenCross Appalled At Turner's Accusations

Members of GreenCross Medicinal Cannabis Support Group of NZ Inc. are appalled but not surprised by Judy Turner, MP and health spokesperson for United Future, and her accusations regarding medicinal cannabis and those wanting it legalised.

Since we have been talking to United Future regarding this matter they seem to dismiss fact and replace it with their self serving political nonsense.

Ms Turner has been told previously that GreenCross has members who have never used cannabis in their entire life but now have medical professionals suggesting it be used for the benefit of the patient. GreenCross reminds Ms Turner of this fact and again extends a warm invitation for her to come and meet some of our members and talk to them personally. We can, as she knows, let her talk to not only people dying of cancer or in severe pain from other ailments but also their doctors who stand by the use of cannabis for their patient. To say that the proponents of medicinal cannabis are simply social users can only be described as a deliberate misleading of the New Zealand public. Surely any compassionate person would support this issue on the grounds of quality of life/life itself?

Of course non-medical users of cannabis support the issue. Decent people do not condone suffering as easily as it appears United Future does. It seems that United Future cares little about life and quality of life. GreenCross would suggest that if United Future is desperate to remain in parliament after the next election they should stop the politically motivated mistruths regarding medicinal cannabis and remain instead with fact.

GreenCross agrees that doctors should be leading the drive for legal medicinal cannabis use and the truth is this is happening currently with an ever increasing number of medical professionals supporting cannabis use. As Ms Turner has been told every member of GreenCross has been signed in by a registered medical professional yet this fact seems to escape her memory when she put pen to paper in her press release dated Friday 8th August 2004. This is not a surprising tactic from United Future. Previous actions of United Future include the following:

1. Paul Adams tells Greencross not to be dramatic about cannabis as medicine as "there are plenty of other drugs you can use". Despite the passage of sixteen months and several phone calls to Mr Adams' office he has refused to tell us the names of the alternative drugs and therefore lets our members suffer needlessly. Either that or Mr Adams does not know of any such drugs. GreenCross again invites Mr Adams to supply us the names of the drugs he referred to so we may reduce suffering immediately. If Mr Adams does not know of these drugs he should apologise to those who suffer without cannabis.

2. A heart wrenching letter was sent to Peter Dunne explaining how a friend had died of brain lesions from toxoplasmosis due to his inability to stomach HIV drugs. Mr Dunne was told that this man would have been able to take his medications if he had steady access to cannabis. This is not possible at current black market prices in New Zealand. The letter went on to explain that I was afraid of dying the same slow horrible death and asking United Future to support medicinal cannabis use. Mr Dunne replied to me the following and I quote: " This garbage is not worthy of a response".

Ms Turner should stop misleading the public of New Zealand over an issue of humanity and quality of life. Due to previous dealings with United Future we do not expect Ms Turner will take up our public invitation to meet both patients who have never used cannabis and their doctors so that she may publicly correct herself in relation to her recent press release and its distortion of the facts.

The day is coming when cannabis will be prescribed in New Zealand. The issue is being pushed by those in the medical community. People such as Judy Turner and United Future members would do well to think about the death and suffering that they seem to think is preferable to allowing someone to use cannabis when directed to do so by their doctor. Does Ms. Turner really think that countries, such as Holland, allow doctors to prescribe and pharmacies to supply government grown cannabis while the evidence is lacking?

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