Cannabis and cannabinoids in Australasia

New Zealand: Tilray FS THC 5: CBD 20, a cannabis oral solution, has been verified by the Medicinal Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.

New Zealand: Medleaf High THC GG#4, a dried cannabis flower used to make tea, has been verified by the Medicinal Cannabis Agency as meeting the minimum quality standard required to be supplied in New Zealand.

Australia: The government and opposition parties in the state of Victoria are supporting a bill introduced by the Legalise Cannabis party to allow patients prescribed with cannabis to drive, press reports. During discussion of the bill in the state Parliament today, most parties, including the government, backed the initiative. If the bill is eventually passed, patients who use cannabis as a treatment will not be penalised for testing positive in drug tests conducted on the roads.

Vanuatu: The government has approved the regulations for the Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Act, press reports. Cultivation would be allowed only for export purposes, with ten-year licences costing $81,300 per year. The chairman of the parliamentary Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Advisory Committee, Moses Amos, said restrictions are required throughout the entire cannabis and hemp operation, from importation of seeds to cultivation, production, manufacture, supply and export. Vanuatu is a South Pacific island nation of around 308,000 people.

Australia: The Legalise Cannabis party has introduced a proposal to allow patients prescribed with cannabis to drive, press reports. They say those who regularly use cannabis as a treatment should not be penalised for testing positive in drug tests conducted on the roads. There have been calls in South Australia to exclude medical cannabis users from new drug-driving rules, while the campaign Drive Change is making the same case in a number of states.

New Zealand: Changes to the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme, related to product standards and approvals, are set to be presented by the Ministry of Health, according to NORML. Among the measures, expected to come into effect in the second half of the year, are multi-year and multi-site licensing and allowing the supply of batch-tested crops.

Australia: The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) has simplified the process of funding medical cannabis for armed forces veterans. It will now allow general practitioners to approve the funding of medical cannabis without the need of a specialist’s assessment. It has also implemented a “tier-based approval approach” that takes into consideration the active ingredients, dose parameters and regulatory factors.

Australia: The number of representatives in the Victoria state upper house who support the legalisation of recreational cannabis has increased following election results confirmed today, press reports. At least eight of the 11 crossbench members of the Legislative Council, including four from the Green party and two from Legalise Cannabis Victoria, are in favour of legalisation. The election has left the ruling Labor Party needing the support of at least six crossbenchers to pass any legislation.