The Government needs a compassionate approach to marijuana legislation.  This was the general message at JDAY today in Whangarei, with those suffering a range of illnesses turning out to call for easier access to medicinal marijuana.

Patrick Tahitahi has suffered with a spinal injury for many years.

"When I started to go green and came off all my meds, well lucky if I've been in hospital at all now.  All my issues seem to have cleared up a lot easier."

Type 2 Bi-Polar sufferer Gwenn Gillgren has a similar experience, "The only thing that I've ever found to work instantly and without side effects is cannabis.  I've been given medication by the doctor that drove me so insane."

From Northland to the bottom of the South Island, eight cities all hosted JDAY events today lobbying for improved marijuana legislation.

Terry Mason says, "I've got rheumatoid arthritis so you know I battled seven years against high dose morphine. Unless your making excess amounts of money to be able to afford the Government accessible stuff well you can't."

Patrick Tahitahi says, "It’s out of my reach cause of the cost.  That’s the big factor is the cost.  It doesn’t cost much to grow a plant in the backyard one or two per patient or person just for that medicinal benefit."

Now in its 26th year support at the JDAY event for legislation to improve public access to

The health benefits of marijuana has risen to new heights. 

Terry Mason says, "It’s all over the world.  It’s in Britain and Germany you got Canada going for full legalisation, it’s all there the science is there.  What else can you really say?”  

Among the multitudes at JDAY are those who have been criminalised for using marijuana for medicinal purposes.  And they especially are calling on the Government to be compassionate in the future legislation of marijuana.

Gillgren says, "To buy it illegally is so much cheaper but I'd rather not have to deal with criminal gangsters and that kind of thing if I didn’t have to.  People need to be kinder to each other.  And at the moment this law is cruel and heartless and pointless."