The Government revealed in a press release on 19-5-23 to this paper that it does not have the money to start up a medicinal cannabis programme.

Now instead of allowing patients to individually grow their own cannabis to meet their medical necessities, the Government is looking at unnecessarily importing costly medicinal cannabis products when they can be easily produced right here at home by their own people.

The extra money patients save on home grown medicinal cannabis products would help to absorb our high cost of living.

The practice of wealthier nations like New Zealand exporting their products into the Cook Islands must be stopped whenever we are capable of manufacturing them on our own.

Any influx of exorbitantly high-priced imports does not produce economic growth in our nation, rather it is correlated with lower economic growth.

Why is the Government allowing this bad habit to always be exercised?

The Government needs to have faith in the people and allow them the first step of cultivating their own medicinal cannabis that can easily be regulated and put an end to always looking overseas to get the job done.

Sincerely,

Steve Boggs