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Cannabis Inquiry Sparks Interest
By Staff Reporter Patric Lane, Newsroom, 09 Feb 2001
A Parliamentary inquiry into health issues and the legal status of
cannabis has generated around 500 submissions.
The inquiry, announced in September, is looking into how to minimise
cannabis use and the harm associated with it, and will also consider
the most appropriate legal status for the drug.
The deadline for submissions closed this week, and Health select
committee chairperson, Judy Keall, said around 500 had been received.
Mrs Keall said she hoped to start public hearings in late March, and
expected the eight-person committee would report back to Parliament
before the end of the year.
National's Health spokesperson, Roger Sowry, said the party had not
yet decided whether it would take part in the inquiry, but would
announce its position soon.
National opposed the inquiry when it was launched, saying another
select committee review - following an earlier inquiry into the
drug's mental health effects - would just cause uncertainty and
further damage.
Mr Sowry said the party's caucus - which is engaged in a three-day
retreat in Napier - would consider select committee and legislative
issues today.
(c) NewsRoom 2001
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