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On Marijuana Media this week we were joined in the studio by Abe Gray, who founded the Whakamana Cannabis Museum which ran successfully in Dunedin for many years, as well as Otago NORML and their regular Friday 4:20 protest sessions, and previously hosted Radio 1’s Overgrown cannabis radio show. The qualified cannabis botanist and former licensed cannabis grower now has plans to open a cannabis club here in Auckland – which would be legal for people using prescribed medicinal cannabis products.
With cannabis clubs becoming the new norm in Germany, and possibly coming to Australia and the Cook Islands too, Abe joined us on the show to take questions from listeners such as where and when will it happen here? How would people join, and what would happen there? And what effect does he expect the club would have on Auckland’s cannabis culture, and prospects for law reform? Abe also discussed the fundraising gala event planned for August 12 at the venue, Hopetoun Alpha on Beresford Street.
Also during the discussion, I broke open my new pack of GG#4 (Gorilla Glue) prescribed medicinal cannabis which I had picked up from the dispensary on my way in. The pack itself almost proved my undoing but once we got it open, the nugs inside were revealed to be extremely dense and crystal covered. Jonny remarked they were the hardest buds he’s ever come across, while Abe revealed he too has a prescription for the same flower.
Listen to the Marijuana Media potcast to learn all about it.
[Stream the pot-cast of this show on 95bFM] [download mp3]
In our news roll up this week:
The FIFA Women’s World Cup is underway with NZ opening against Norway. Players are no longer tested for CBD, the non-psychoactive therapeutic ingredient in cannabis, but are still subject to sanctions for THC and it’s inactive metabolite THC-COOH which can remain for weeks after past use. FIFA’s anti-doping policy does allow an exemption for prescribed therapeutic cannabis use. Visiting team players could, in fact, obtain prescriptions for medicinal cannabis products while here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and claim an exemption for that.
Cannabis and CBD are widely used for post-event recovery and anti-inflammatory effects, however the USA’s Major League Baseball and National Basketball Associationboth no longer consider cannabis a performance enhancing drug and do not test for it.
On Stuff this week, Simon Bridges’ Generally Famous podcast in which Patrick Gower explains why he changed stance on addiction – and it started with his Paddy On Weed doco, among TV3’s highest ever rating programmes.
n the podcast, Bridges asks Gower whether there were any subjects he’d rethought because of his research. Paddy says he never really cared for cannabis and believed medical cannabis was a “joke”, but working on the docos saw him decide it was actually a “fantastic medical option … particularly for people with cancer at the end of their life, or for people who are dealing with anxiety and stress and stuff like that. It’s a natural option with a lot of science behind it”.
In Australia this week the Legalise Cannabis Party has out-polled the Greens in the Fadden (QLD) byelection. The Cannabis Party was fourth with 7.2% of the vote. Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham, a former Greens senator who switched parties, tweeted it “Bodes well for upcoming Senate races.”
Legalise Cannabis Party outpolls Greens in Fadden By-election. Bodes well for upcoming Senate races. pic.twitter.com/IzJF9rtaDy
— Jeremy Buckingham (@BuckinghamJN) July 15, 2023
In more election news, Stuff reported High Court dismisses fringe parties’ bid for review of electoral funding. Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party, Vision NZ, and Freedoms New Zealand wanted a review of the Electoral Commission’s broadcasting allocation for this October’s election. The ALCP and other small parties receive $66,332 compared to the Labour Party which got $1.235m.
Parties can’t spend their own funds on broadcast advertising, and the Legalise Cannabis Party (like NORML and The Hempstore) is blocked from running ads on social media. So, please “like, share and comment” to help support cannabis reform!
Lastly, it’s Dry July and I am still #HighandDry. I have pledged to stay dry, and get high, every day. You can support my fundraising at www.dryjuly.co.nz/users/chris-fowlie.
Events
- Substance Testing @ The Hemp Store was last week on Thursday 20 July, and the next one is First Thursday, 2nd August from 3-7pm. Thanks to the NZ Drug Foundation. Dancesafe reagent kits available here.
- Medicinal Cannabis Expo fundraiser for the cannabis museum: 12 August at Hopetoun Alpha, Beresford Street, Auckland CBD
· CannaPosium 7-8 October at the Surrey Hotel, Grey Lynn, Auckland. Tickets here.
· Auckland J Day Saturday 2nd December in Albert Park (postponed from May). NORML is also organising some cannabis rallies leading up to the election.
Marijuana Media airs every Thursday at 4:20pm on 95bFM, with your hosts bFM Drive’s Jonny and Chris Fowlie from The Hempstore. Stream or download the pot-cast for this show here or hundreds of previous Marijuana Media shows at 95bFM.com (or via iTunes / RSS feed). Thanks to The Hemp Store!
Chris – Nice, and informed as usual
As always Chris I really appreciate your voice and educational platform to get information out regarding cannabis.
I can’t wait for the day our country let’s go of its hang ups against cannabis and see that it has a place in healing and life.
I know weed is not for everyone but it is always good to have options available for people who can’t do big traditional Pharma drug.
It’s been very disturbing to see the science that Obama’s drug policy advisor Kevin Sabet has been revealing about the dangers of marijuana. While it’s possible that the orders of magnitude increases in psychosis that are seen among regular marijuana users are just a consequence of the self-selecting nature of people who would lower themselves to use marijuana, the lobbies for the commercial sale of this dangerous drug won’t even acknowledge that basic fact.
link?
Kevin Sabet is a Bahai.
Jesus loves you