It was one of the 90% of ACC claims approved by the corporation's algorithmic decision system, which was deployed in 2018 after being trained on 12 million claims processed by ACC staff between 2010 and 2016. Its job is only to approve claims if a claim is "complex", it must be scrutinised and accepted or declined by a human. The computer cannot say "no", although I'm always faintly surprised it can read my handwriting.
In short, I have sprained a couple of lower vertebrae and it is painful and disabling. So it was a happy accident that my cannabis was ready for collection.
Having written extensively about the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme, I recently decided that I should actually go through the process at a dedicated clinic and get myself a prescription. After completing an online questionnaire that asked what other medicines I took and whether I had any history of psychosis, I was able to book a phone consultation. I ticked the box allowing my GP to be notified.
This story is from the March 30 - April 5, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.
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This story is from the March 30 - April 5, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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