In a statement to the Otago Daily Times, board chairwoman Donna Matahaere-Atariki confirmed an incident occurred and said it was reported to police and the Medical Council.
Police refused to release any documentation on the episode on the grounds that the need to protect people’s privacy was ‘‘not outweighed by any public interest in release of the information’’.
The ODT invited them to redact any paperwork so individuals were protected, to no avail.
‘‘Police will not be changing its stance on this request at this time,’’ a spokesman responded.
The Medical Council took a similar stance.
Chairwoman Dr Rachelle Love said while the council did not regulate cannabis clinics or products, it expected doctors to meet published standards on prescribing, informed consent, and communication with a patient’s healthcare team.
‘‘We are also unable to confirm or comment on individual notifications or complaints due to our privacy obligations,’’ she said.
A source, who was working at Te Kāika when the incident occurred, said the cannabis handover took place in the carpark as a Whanau Ora navigator was about to accompany a patient home.
There had reportedly been an earlier appointment during which there had been some ‘‘banter’’ with the doctor about the person being prescribed the drug.
The navigator seized the package and later passed it on to his superiors, the source told the ODT.
After obtaining legal advice, police were called to retrieve the cannabis.
Despite concessions by the police, the doctor, who no longer worked there, refused to elaborate on what took place.
‘‘Unfortunately, people telling other people about events they were not involved in has led to a lot of nonsense. Clearly the police thought the allegations were nonsense,’’ the doctor said.
‘‘I am a clinician that is licensed to prescribe and provide cannabis. I act legally and ethically - as was found to be the case after scrutiny by authorities.’’
He spoke enthusiastically about the medicinal qualities of the drug and appeared to back its decriminalisation.
‘‘I’m not a dealer,’’ the doctor said.
‘‘It’s a medicine. And for some reason ... it’s still, like, illegal. I don’t understand.’’
In a later email exchange he stressed the therapeutic power of the drug and expressed concern that it was not more widely used in New Zealand.
‘‘I prescribe a lot of cannabis. A lot of doctors do not and ignorantly refuse to educate themselves about it,’’ he said.
The doctor signed off his email: ‘‘Praise God/Jah for she/his/them blessings.’’
