I’m writing in regards to your October 19, 2023 article about New Zealand allowing over the counter sales of CBD products.
I
have news for everyone, according to the Cook Islands Narcotics and Misuse of
Drugs Act 2004, these CBD products are already legal to possess in the Cook
Islands. Let me explain, these products contain CBD, a chemical found in
marijuana. CBD stands for cannabidiol and does not contain any THC, the
principal psychoactive constituent of marijuana that gets you high. The other
substances in these CBD products are THC and other related psychoactive
substances.
For
these products to be sold in NZ they must meet the definition of a CBD product,
for example a 100ml. CBD oil container product has 98.5%mg CBD and 1.43%mg THC
and other related psychoactive substances which brings it under the legal
threshold of 1.76%mg THC.
Now,
under our Drugs Act, an individual can legally possess under 250mg of THC. The
Act reads, Part 1, #6. Dealings with controlled drugs, #8, (e), A person shall
until the contrary is proved to be deemed to be in possession of a controlled
drug (marijuana) if they possess 250mg.or more of tetrahydrocannabinol, THC.
As
a result of all of this, every CBD product sold in NZ is legal in the Cook
Islands because it meets the legal threshold of our Drugs Act of being under
250mg possession of THC.
All
of this has come about for one reason and one reason only. When the 2004 Drugs
Act became law in our country, it was written…
