Wednesday 15 August, 9:30am to 8:40pm

Montrose Room, Gateway Hotel, 206 Kirkbride Rd, Mangere, Auckland

AUCKLAND: Parliament’s Health Select Committee will travel north to Auckland this Wednesday 15th August to hear submissions to the cannabis inquiry.

Appearing in support of more sensible and effective cannabis policies will be NORML’s Treasurer Adrian Picot (11:50am) and members Dr Stuart Young (4pm), Jonathan Rennie (5pm) Harry Cording (7pm).

At 12:40pm Worik Stanton will speak from parent’s perspective, while Meteria Turei will discuss cannabis and Maori.

Medical marijuana advocate Greg Soar, who lives with HIV, will be presenting the case for the medical availability of cannabis at 4:30pm. Several patients who use marijuana as medicine will also testify.

Karen Blacklock of the Auckland Drug Information Outreach (ADIO) will testify at 11:20am, and Graeme Milnich, representing the Auckland Council for Civil Liberties, will appear at 3:10pm.

The Inquiry will also hear an “expert submission” from Keith Bedford (9:30am), forensics manager at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), an organisation with a financial interest in maintaining the current policy. ESR has expanded it’s business into workplace urine testing, and has a multi-million dollar contract testing cannabis samples for the NZ Police. ESR is also expected to table an analysis of cannabis samples that will dispel the often-touted myth that cannabis potency has increased.

The meeting is open to media and members of the public.

Ends

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