87% of doctors, “Reduce health costs, grow Cannabis” – The Hemp Foundation
The Hemp Foundation is frustrated at the short sighted ignorance of politics.
We are doctors, nutritionists, patients, parents, professionals, and we understand Cannabis. So we educated and then surveyed 280 medical professionals at two national GP Conferences this year. That data, and the science behind it, shows that our medical schools and governments remain blind to the science and the opportunities.
Cannabinoids are part of our Endogenous Cannabinoid System (ECS) and are as vital for life as our Respiratory or Circulatory Systems. Why are med students not taught that our physical health and mental well-being depends upon cannabinoids that we make within our bodies? These vital compounds are richly provided for us by nature in food plants that cannot get you high, unless you heat them. It’s about getting healthy, not high. We all need to learn that.
69% of doctors had never heard of their ECS, and 89% of doctors surveyed in Christchurch were unaware of its role in regulating pain, inflammation, anxiety, digestion, sleep, bone growth, our immune system, appetite, mood, and more (n=104).
89% of doctors in Rotorua thought Cannabis use was a health issue, and not a criminal matter (n=180). 96% thought plant cannabis should be used and researched in NZ, and 93% were interested in developing Cannabis Programs as the Israelis have done with their Ministries of Health and Agriculture. Politicians should take note.
67% felt cannabis should be removed immediately from the misuse of drugs act, and 53% wanted training in Cannabis medicine and to participate in clinical trials to advance Kiwi health care.
We are being denied opportunities for health and prosperity by laws that are not based on science. There is a knowledge gap that prevents us from innovating and prospering. With education, we can bridge this gap and innovate successfully, and as our survey shows the profession accepts the evidence when shown it. Accordingly, on November 18th, The Hemp Foundation will run New Zealand’s first official Hemp Medicine Course for Medical Professionals in Auckland. This is a Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (non endorsed) CME event, with 5 Professional Development Points for attendees.
In stark contrast to us, Israel has recognised Cannabis as a new farm sector, and their Ministers of Health and Finance have agreed to a global export plan. They are innovating, we are not.
Our new government says that it will provide access to Cannabis medicines for the terminally ill and those in chronic pain. These are currently prohibitively expensive. If the government is serious about improving things for Kiwis, then it needs to understand the science and the opportunities. 87% of informed doctors support reducing health costs and improve health outcomes by growing our own. Making unaffordable medicines available, or subsidising those unnecessarily expensive medicines with tax payer money, is not the answer. We believe in enabling new, sustainable, health, research, and manufacturing sectors for public and private profit; for regional development; for a cleaner environment; for better, more affordable, healthcare. Let us explore this generous crop, and see what we can do with it.
The medical profession supports industrial use, medicinal use, and responsible use. Big pharma know that the future of medicine involves our ECS – are we going to be customers, or providers of our own health care? The Hemp Foundation has a plan.
We should import all cabbages, carrots, potatoes and cannabis,, to insure purity and grade