Dear Ministry of Health,

Official Information Act Request
To: OIA Team, Ministry of Health
Subject: Inter-Ministerial Coordination and Legal Notice – Medicinal Cannabis Regulatory Oversight

Kia ora,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information:

---

1. Pre-Action Notice Acknowledgement

Has the Ministry of Health received any pre-action legal notices or correspondence threatening legal proceedings from SOMA Group Ltd, Gregory Marshall, or legal representatives acting on their behalf in relation to the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme?

If so, please provide:

The date(s) of receipt

The recipient(s) within the Ministry

Any internal discussion or handling guidance (including any briefings or legal assessments)

Any outgoing response or planned response (redactions accepted under s9(2)(h) or s9(2)(g)(i) if applicable)

---

2. Ministerial Responsibility Change

Has the Ministry of Health been notified — formally or informally — that Minister David Seymour has assumed portfolio responsibility for Medicinal Cannabis from Minister Simeon Brown?

If so:

On what date did this occur?

What internal or external communications were generated regarding this shift in responsibility?

Has Minister Seymour been briefed by the Ministry (or requested briefing material) specifically on:

Clause 35

GMP regulatory settings

Stakeholder complaints or litigation threats

The “Pump the Brakes” letter (April 2024)

Any communications with the Ministry for Regulation

---

3. Ministry for Regulation Coordination

Since 1 June 2025, please provide:

A list of all meetings, email threads, or formal communications between the Ministry of Health (including Medsafe or the Medicinal Cannabis Agency) and the Ministry for Regulation regarding the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme.

Copies of the correspondence, or at minimum:

Dates and participants

Subject lines or topic summaries

Any briefing notes, memos, or shared policy frameworks

Any reference to:

Reform of the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme

GMP simplification

Clause 35 enforcement

Post-market monitoring

Removal of barriers to prescribing

---

If any of this information is withheld under section 9, please specify the subsection and the public interest grounds considered.

Please acknowledge receipt of this request and advise if any clarification is needed. I look forward to your response within the statutory timeframe.

Yours faithfully,

Greg marshall