A senior minister will continue to work with the woman spear-heading access to medicinal cannabis despite her being investigated by police.

Toni-Marie Matich, co-founder of United in Compassion (UIC), was last year thrust into the public eye through her work with Children's Commissioner Russell Wills, the NZ Drug Foundation and Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne, to broaden access to medicinal cannabis.

Police confirmed last month they were investigating Matich, who allegedly owes $78,000 to hundreds of ticket-buyers.

New research published today in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine confirms what many of us have suspected for some time: If you smoke a lot of weed — like a lot of it — it can potentially do permanent damage to your short-term memory.

Professor Reto Auer of the University of Lausanne led a team of researchers who examined data on the marijuana habits of nearly 3,400 Americans over a 25-year period. At the end of the study period, the subjects took a battery of tests designed to assess cognitive abilities — memory, focus, ability to make quick decisions, etc.

How do you warn people about the potentially serious risks of a recreational drug that many users think is harmless? This is the challenge now facing health officials hoping to inform and warn the public about an increasingly legal recreational drug.

A new study indicates lifetime use of marijuana is linked to poorer verbal memory at middle age, and its authors want to spread the word.

If you need an economic argument for legalising marijuana in Australia, here it is: millions of tax dollars.

The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has released an estimate of how much the government could raise if a 10% goods and services tax (GST) was hypothetically placed on legalised household consumption of marijuana, and after federal law enforcement stopped going after marijuana related-crime.

A cannabis grower whose illegal hydroponic business spanned multiple properties around Wellington has told a judge he wants to use his expertise to grow lettuces.

Mason Joseph Tobin, 28, had been charged after police raided several properties during Operation Hive in 2013.

He was one of the major players, helping to set up growing rooms in different houses, as well as providing equipment, plants and ongoing advice to others growing cannabis between March 2007 and July 2013.

On Friday Wellington District Court judge Bruce Davidson jailed Tobin for three and a half years.

Tobin had pleaded guilty to nine charges of cultivating and supplying cannabis and equipment.

Former union boss Helen Kelly has written to Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne to seek permission to use medicinal cannabis.

Ms Kelly, who has lung cancer, said she hoped her application would be granted as soon as possible.

"[Dunne] said it took him an hour once he got the last application, so I'm hoping to hear today," she said.

Ms Kelly is already using cannabis oil to ease her pain, and said the drug had been "brilliant" for helping with nausea, lost appetite, and pain relief following chemotherapy.
"I want it in a form that is metered," she said. "The product that I've applied for has got a much weaker strength in the daytime and a stronger strength at night.She now wants a legal, regular supply of the drug.

In light of recent and increasing commentary on the use, access to and funding of cannabis based medical products, attached is a fact sheet on the definition, current availability, status and authorisation process around the use of these products for therapeutic purposes. Further information can be found on the Ministry of health’s website at:http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/regulation-health-and-disability-system/medicines-control/medicinal-cannabis

Status of Medical Cannabis in New Zealand

A woman who may have otherwise died from her regular severe seizures has been granted approval for medical marijuana funding.

Alisha Butt, 20, has the mentality of a toddler and is unable to speak.

Her seizures had presented a huge problem for specialists who were unable to adequately treat her, leading to the possibility she could end up in a coma from one and die.

But thanks to medicinal marijuana extract Sativex, Alisha is able to live a more comfortable life.

"Since being on Sativex for over 4 months, she has shown a great improvement," mum Sushila Butt said.

A South Canterbury MP has rebuffed campaigners' claims New Zealand drug laws encourage the use of illegal synthetic cannabis.

MP for Waitaki, National's Jacqui Dean, rejected the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party's claim people were being "forced to synthetics" on Thursday.

In a written statement, the party said "the black market has made safer natural alternatives too hard to find for many people".

Waimate man Eli Ward revealed on January 16 he kicked a five year synthetic cannabis addiction only by working on fishing boats. He said his habit started when he and his friends ran out of cannabis and used a synthetic substitute instead.

Ward estimated there were hundreds of "fulltime smokers" in the region.

Many trials are continuing throughout the world into the use of medicinal marijuana

The use of medical cannabis is an issue that won't go away. The word has got out that it can relieve the agony of dying patients. So those patients and their families will use it, whatever anyone else might say.

A new report says medicinal cannabis helped ease the suffering of Alex Renton, 19, whose case received a lot of publicity last year. Alex had "status epilepticus", a terrible form of epilepsy, and was allowed to use Elixinol, a cannabidoil (CBD), for a short time before he died on July 1.