Whangarei's Grey Power federation has voted to support a push by a fellow Northland federation to legalise medicinal cannabis and says it's not being naive in making the decision.
In April the Otamatea Grey Power federation put its weight behind the legalise medicinal marijuana movement, saying they want to have the choice of dying pain-free. Otamatea Grey Power president Beverley Aldridge, said she had grown tired of watching friends and family suffer serious illness, while the drugs they were given had side-effects as bad as the symptoms they were designed to treat. Medicinal marijuana, she believed, was the answer.
The move sparked a war of words between Grey Power national president Tom O'Connor and the Cannabis Party, with Mr O'Connor saying he was worried about "single issue" groups trying to capture "naive" Grey Power members to promote their cause.
Whangarei Grey Power president Jim Beniston said the group was not naive or easily led, as Mr O'Connor implied, and had plenty of experience between members to make up their own mind.
Mr Beniston said Whangarei Grey Power's committee voted at its May meeting to support the Otamatea group to an extent - supporting legalising medicinal marijuana oil for pain relief under strict prescription control.