The mum of a daughter with an incurable disease has given an emotional plea outside Parliament today about medicinal cannabis, saying the law "has to change".
Tracy Yeats says it currently costs her family $1100 a month to supply her daughter Grace with medicinal cannabis medication Sativex and they're struggling to keep up.
"We have to fund it through fundraising and begging on Give a Little which is not really sustainable.
"I have about six months left and it has to change in New Zealand, we need access to have affordable medicinal cannabis, it's one of the medications which has been really helpful to Grace."
Ms Yeats says the Green Party Bill on medicinal cannabis would open up debate and ensure people like her daughter were no longer ignored.
When asked if she had a message to politicians debating the Bill in the House today she said: "I think they need to listen to their compassionate side.
"This could happen to anybody and you never know when the tables could turn and you find yourself needing medicinal cannabis."
Chloe Swarbrick and other Green Party MPs also gave addresses on the issue outside Parliament today and met with supporters of their Bill.
It is due to have its first reading around 5pm today after Labour introduced their medicinal cannabis Bill yesterday.
However, it's understood NZFirst have agreed to support the government's tightened medicinal cannabis Bill. (Source: Other)
Yesterday Deputy PM Winston Peters spoke strongly against the Greens' Bill and said he wouldn't be supporting it.
"It goes far too far. There is no restriction at all, it's random, it's haphazard, it's free-for-all now."
However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says there had been party support from NZ First for the government's tighter medicinal cannabis Bill.
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