NZMCC board member Ben Whitson is focused on improving patients’ medicinal cannabis access and supporting clinicians.
What drew you to the medical cannabis sector?
My interest in medicinal cannabis actually started before my nursing career. A combination of personal experience and an early curiosity about the emerging research drew me in, and that curiosity never really left.
When I moved into PACU nursing and developed a strong interest in chronic pain management, it felt like the two things were converging. The more I explored the pharmacology and clinical potential, the more compelling it became. I was accepted into an Honours programme focused on outpatient cannabis use for chronic pain and symptom management. When COVID hit, our unit was converted into a makeshift ICU and I wasn’t able to continue my studies at that time.
Alongside that, I had started working part-time as one of the first cannabis nurses in New Zealand. Seeing patient outcomes in practice really solidified my interest. I made the decision to fully commit to the sector, and nearly six years on I’ve moved into product strategy where I’m focused on improving how patients access safe, high-quality treatment options at scale.
But what keeps me in it is simpler than all of that. Early on as a cannabis nurse I saw what this treatment could do for patients who had run out of other options. I’ve had patients in tears telling me how life changing this has been after years of suffering. Even now in management, I still hear from our prescribers daily about the difference it’s making in people’s lives. That stays with me. It drives me to push for better options, better consistency of care, and better products. Providing this service well, for the patients who need it, is something I care deeply about.
NZMCC talk about complementary strengths. What is your strong suit? Where will you be leaning on the others to bring to the group?
My strength is the breadth of the industry I’ve been exposed to. I started as a registered nurse, moved into a clinical lead role, was involved in setting up the first cannabis-only pharmacy in New Zealand, then into operations management, and now in product strategy. That’s not a typical career path and I think it gives me a genuinely different perspective.
Because I’ve sat in so many different seats, I understand how the whole system connects. I understand what patients actually need, what clinicians need to do their job well, and what the business realities look like on the ground. I’ve seen where things break down and where the opportunities are, in both clinic and pharmacy models. That end-to-end understanding is what I bring.
Where I’ll lean on others is in areas like regulatory and policy leadership, broader system wide strategy, and international perspectives. I don’t think any of us should be trying to cover everything, and the real strength of a good board is in those complementary skills sitting alongside each other.
We might disagree on how to deliver some aspects of the sector, but what do you see as the “North Star?” What vision and values do the Board share?
For me, it always comes back to patients, and I think that has to be the North Star for all of us. Equitable and affordable access to quality medicines for the people who need them. Not just for those who can easily navigate the system or afford the cost, but for everyone.
In practice that means consistent product availability, because patients shouldn’t be managing their health around supply gaps. It means prescribing standards that support meaningful consultations, the right time spent with patients, appropriate follow up, and clinical decisions that are led by the prescriber not driven by demand. And it means pathways that don’t create unnecessary barriers for the people who need this treatment most.
I also think we have a real opportunity to learn from international markets that are further along than we are. There’s a lot we can take from what’s worked and what hasn’t, so we’re not repeating mistakes others have already made. New Zealand has built a genuinely world leading regulatory framework and I want to see us use that as a foundation to keep raising the bar, not just maintain it.
It also means a sector that takes its reputation seriously, one that’s built on good science, ethical practice, and collaboration. When the sector works the way it should, patients get better outcomes and the whole industry benefits from that trust.
I wouldn’t want to speak for the rest of the Board before I’ve had the chance to sit around the table, but I’m really looking forward to understanding what drives each of them and finding that common ground.
What do you see as the biggest opportunity — or challenge — facing the industry right now?
Honestly, I think the opportunity and the challenge are the same thing right now, and that’s growth. We’re at a point where awareness is increasing, prescribing is expanding, and there’s a real export opportunity on the horizon that could be significant for New Zealand. That’s exciting.
But growth brings risk, and I think we have to be honest about that. For me the biggest opportunity is making sure we get the foundations right while we still can. That means universal prescribing standards so that the quality of care a patient receives doesn’t depend on who they see or where they go, and credible education pathways for prescribers so they feel genuinely confident and supported in this space. Those two things would make a significant difference.
On the patient side, supporting access is critical, but it has to be done carefully and thoughtfully. A cautious and considered approach protects both patients and the long term integrity of the sector.
New Zealand has a real opportunity to lead on both quality and integrity and to show the rest of the world what a well-built medicinal cannabis system looks like. But that requires all of us to be deliberate about how we grow, not just how fast.
What does meaningful progress for the local cannabis industry look like to you in the next 12 months, and what are you personally focused on achieving?
Meaningful progress to me looks like a sector that’s growing in the right direction, where patients can actually access what they need, and where the clinicians supporting them feel confident and well equipped to do so.
I’m personally passionate about two things right now. The first is improving patient access, ensuring pathways are clearer and less of a barrier for people who genuinely need this treatment. The second is safe prescribing standards that support the clinicians working in this space, whether that’s GPs, specialists, or nurse practitioners. As the sector grows, I think it’s really important we don’t let standards slip in the process.
On the product side, as New Zealand’s market continues to develop, I want to ensure we maintain a high bar for product quality and safety. Growth is exciting, but not at the expense of the trust patients and prescribers place in the system.
One thing I feel strongly about is making sure that as the sector scales, we don’t lose sight of what this actually is: a clinical relationship between a prescriber and a patient. That means meaningful consultations, appropriate prescribing, and a model where clinical judgement leads, not consumer demand. “Do no harm” is foundational to medicine, and I think it has to stay foundational here too. A fast-growing industry that cuts corners on that will ultimately undermine the credibility we’ve all worked hard to build.