Arik Reiss:
MCANZ’s slogan is “Putting patients before politics” – what specifically
do you mean by this?
Shane Le Brun:
This ties into the charitable purposes of our organisation, where patient
access under current rules, however they are is just as important as
advocating for law reform,
Arik Reiss:
What kind of products are currently legally accessible to NZ patients?
Shane Le Brun:
Four products currently, three are unregistered medicines from Tilray and
one other Sativex. I have exciting news coming very soon on another CBD
product though….. and it will be delicious to boot!
Medicinal Cannabis Advocates New Zealand:
Shane Le Brun, Rose Renton, Sue Grey, and Rebecca Reider
Interview with Shane Le Brun
(MCANZ) Medical Cannabis Awarenes New Zealand
Many people that are deeply connected to the cannabis plant got
that way because their pain and suffering brought them to that point.
Shane and his wife Kate have a story that may resonate with you.
Arik Reiss:
Kia Ora, Shane. What is MCANZ?
Shane Le Brun:
Medical Cannabis Awareness New Zealand or MCANZ (pronounced Em
Canz) is a registered charity devoted exclusively to medical access. As
a charity our key priority is assisting patients with legal access in the
here and now under current law.
Arik Reiss:
What motivated you to establish MCANZ and engage in drug law
reform?
Shane Le Brun:
My wife initially, she suffers terrible chronic pain from a spine injury,
After five years of conventional treatments with opioids, surgery etc,
we bit the bullet and experimented with Cannabis, and lo and behold,
it worked! The hippies were right!
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Arik Reiss:
Is that satisfactory? What kind of access should there be, in your opinion?
Shane Le Brun:
It’s rubbish, access-wise, I am envious of the range and costs afforded
to Canadian patients, which make a mockery of what is available here. I
would like to point out though that in many cases our NZ Pharmacies are
the ones raking in the profit, not GW Pharma or Tilray. A Canadian direct-
to-patient solution cutting out these middlemen would be an ideal way
to cut costs.
Arik Reiss:
The current medicinal cannabis bill before Parliament does not legalise
medicinal cannabis as the Labour government claimed they would but
rather gives patients a defence in court if they have 12 months to live.
What do you think of the bill in general?
Shane Le Brun:
I have no love for how the government has handled this. First, it was
legalize in 100 days, then it was introduce legislation in 100 days, and
now the regulations to accompany it are so delayed, and our Ministry of
Health so under-resourced, that 1000 days is a safer bet.
An advisory committee was supposed to be set up early this year to steer
aspects of regulation which hasn’t happened.
David Clark, our current Minister of Health seems incredibly disengaged
in this area, I would really like to see him delegate responsibility to JAG
from the Greens, that would restore confidence. So far I would give the
government D+. it’s better than nothing, but patients shouldn’t feel
grateful for scraps when they were promised a three-course meal. I could
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