Ryall apologises for taunt over cannabis

A National Party attack on the Greens' cannabis policy backfired yesterday when Justice Minister Tony Ryall apologised for claiming his local hospital's psychiatric ward was full of patients suffering from "drug-induced psychosis."

Whakatane Hospital criticised the claim as inappropriate and political game-playing.

During a radio debate about cannabis laws yesterday morning, Mr Ryall invited Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons to visit the hospital's psychiatric ward.

"It's full of young people with druginduced psychosis. These people have had to be admitted because of the excessive use of cannabis. It's destroyed their lives," he told National Radio's Kim Hill.

Whakatane Hospital psychiatric unit director Debbie Brown said Mr Ryall's comment was "a quite inappropriate thing to be saying."

Through a spokesman, she said the psychiatric ward had seven people in it. Four were suffering from schizophrenia, two from depressive disorders and one was an elderly person with dementia.

Mr Ryall said later that he had talked to a lot of local health and youth workers. "I have obviously misinterpreted what they told me and I'm sorry. But ... cannabis use does have harmful effects on young people."

Mr Ryall had also taunted Jeanette Fitzsimons during the debate, saying she would pursue her party's policies "if she can remember." Kim Hill asked him to make clear that he was not alleging that Jeanette Fitzsimons was suffering memory loss because of cannabis use. Mr Ryall said he was not making that allegation.

Jeanette Fitzsimons had challenged Prime Minister Jenny Shipley to debate with her after Mrs Shipley attacked the Greens' cannabis policy - to legalise the possession of small amounts for personal use - as "extremist."

The attacks largely backfired, as Opposition MPs pointed out that Police Minister Clem Simich, several other National MPs and the Young Nationals had advocated decriminalising cannabis.

- NZPA