The NZ Medical Association President, Kate Baddock, said that NZMA opposed legalisation of cannabis and urged a no vote at the referendum.
This prompted a backlash from several doctors, who said their views were not canvassed.
Dr Baddock responded:
She said the NZMA position is clear.
“Our position on cannabis has been around the harms of cannabis,” Dr Baddock said.
“It’s been there since 2012. It’s been reiterated a few times over that time, and this is a board and organisational position – it’s got nothing to do with me personally.”
A doctor has suggested to me I should look at what the 2012 policy actually says. Extracts are:
The NZMA believes that cannabis use, as with all licit and illicit drug use, needs to be viewed in terms of social determinants and the social gradient, whereby people living further down the gradient are at greater risk of drug harms.
The NZMA supports a harm reduction approach to cannabis use.
The NZMA believes the response…
