The National Party insists it has put up a medicinal cannabis bill to help ease the pain of suffering New Zealanders and that it is not a political stunt.
The member's bill under National MP Shane Reti's name would allow for medicinal cannabis products to be approved in the same way a medicine is approved by Medsafe, with the exception of loose leaf cannabis products.
Medicinal cannabis products would be pharmacist-only medicine, and doctors would decide who had access to an identification card that certified patients to buy the product.
Simon Bridges, leader of the Opposition, said the government's bill, currently before select committee, was totally silent on how a medicinal cannabis regime would operate in practice.
National supported the bill in its first reading but is now pulling that support and putting its own version up.
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