Why Marijuanas Should Not Be Legal in Nz

In the run-up to the 2020 referendum, our office, with the support of a diverse group of experts and clinicians, summarized important information about the potential impact of cannabis legalization. Our summary information can be found below. A group of young New Zealanders with Dravet syndrome – a type of severe epilepsy that begins in early childhood and can lead to brain damage – are also living in the hope that cannabis will become a legal medicine. A child uses Sativex – a product made from THC and CBD – to reduce the number of seizures. Another parent gives her child a CBD-rich concentrate, which she makes herself from the cannabis she bought on the black market. Cannabis supplements significantly improve the lives of these children, but it has been a long and difficult process to get prescribed Sativex and the other parent is doing something illegal. It is not an ideal situation. Currently, the possession and use of controlled substances, including cannabis, is illegal in New Zealand, as stipulated by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. Cannabis is classified as a Class B drug, meaning it poses a «high risk of harm.» Therefore, a judge could impose a prison sentence. This does not happen with class C drugs.

See «Is all cannabis use harmful? and «How could legalization change the health effects of cannabis?» Sandra Murray, head of #makeitlegal campaigning, told the Guardian: «We know from surveys over several years that the majority of New Zealanders support cannabis law reform.» It looked like the law was going to change in New Zealand. In 2017, the government said it would hold a cannabis referendum in 2020 to hear New Zealanders` views on decriminalising or even legalising recreational cannabis use. There is conflicting evidence of the impact on road crash deaths when cannabis has been legalized abroad, partly due to limited data and partly because there could be an increase in cannabis testing after a car accident after legalisation. [5] For example, two studies found no effect of legalizing recreational cannabis on road deaths,[6] two recent studies found fatal crash rates after stores opened[7] and another study found conflicting results between two different states. [8] A non-peer-reviewed study found that the legalization of cannabis retail was associated with an increase in collision claims for auto insurance. [9] No country has legalized all drug use, but Portugal has decriminalized the possession of all drugs. Status of cannabis law reform for recreational cannabis use worldwide. Photo credit: Jamesy0627144/Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0. Various jurisdictions have legalized recreational cannabis, including states in the United States, Canada, Uruguay, ACT (Australia) and South Africa.

For ACT and South Africa, there is no commercial market or way to buy cannabis from regulated stores, only home cultivation is allowed. In contrast, other places that have legalized cannabis allow its purchase, with Uruguay having a government-controlled market, most U.S. states having commercial markets, and Canada having a commercial market with stricter regulations. There are many gaps and limitations in our understanding of the implications of cannabis legalization and commercialization. The biggest problem is that it is difficult to draw conclusions about possible effects, as cannabis has recently been legalized for recreational use. We must also interpret the available data with caution. There are sometimes significant delays between the amendment of the law and the implementation of the amendments, which means that a simplified review of the data can lead to erroneous conclusions. Changes in the legal status of cannabis could make people more likely to report its use in surveys or to health professionals, which could suggest that cannabis use is increasing when it is not. Medical cannabis is a sensitive subject. There is evidence that cannabis and cannabis-derived products can treat some diseases and relieve the symptoms of others.

On the other hand, there are concerns about the effectiveness of using a raw product as a drug and concerns about availability. So, should we allow medical cannabis prescribing in New Zealand? Car and workplace accidents are significant public health issues associated with cannabis use and are also a problem when cannabis is illegal. In Aotearoa, New Zealand, about one in three cannabis users reported driving under the influence of cannabis in the past year. [1] How cannabis-impaired driving might change after recreational legalization is unclear and depends on the rules and tests for cannabis-impaired driving, which are not covered by the proposed legislation – see «What happens if you get caught with cannabis now? How would that change? Cannabis use has health effects, both legal and illegal, but these effects can change depending on how the legal market is regulated. Maori have borne the brunt of the biased application and negative health effects of cannabis, which are illegal. [1] The legalization of cannabis could have significant positive effects on social justice outcomes, particularly for Maori. Legalisation has the potential to formally address some of the biases in the justice system by putting Maori on an equal footing with other citizens in terms of cannabis use. Illicit cannabis use is widespread and the majority of people who use cannabis have not experienced any harm from its use. But the consequences of cannabis use are not the same for everyone. [1] Some individuals or individuals with certain patterns of use are more likely to be harmed – either because of the health effects of cannabis use (see below) or because cannabis is illegal and cannabis use has brought them into conflict with the law (so-called «social» harms – see «What are the social and community effects of cannabis prohibition?»). Cannabis also comes in a variety of forms and strengths – some are less harmful than others – see «What is cannabis?» Lessons learned from tobacco show that health warnings increase risk perception, reduce use and increase the use of smoking cessation services.

[7] Under the proposed framework, precautionary statements on cannabis products will be mandatory. Restrictions on the advertising and marketing of tobacco products have also had an impact on reducing consumption and social norms, and this is proposed for the regulatory framework for legal cannabis. Cannabis use in New Zealand is currently illegal. However, this situation may change in the future. The current coalition government has amended medical cannabis legislation to facilitate access to cannabis derivatives. There could be another change that decriminalizes recreational use. The 2020 cannabis referendum narrowly failed: 50.7% of New Zealanders voted against the bill to legalise recreational cannabis and 48.4% voted in favour. 0.9% of votes were unclear or incomplete. This means that recreational cannabis remains illegal, although the Misuse of Drugs Act confirms that discretion should be used to decide whether or not to lay charges, taking a health-based approach. Medical cannabis remains legal. We already allow medical cannabis in New Zealand. Few people know this, and no one is actually allowed to use it, but technically, cannabis can already be prescribed as a medicine.

The catch and the reason no one is using it legally is that the application process is incredibly complicated and ultimately has to be approved by the Minister of Health. If cannabis is legalized, it would be legal for a person aged 20 and over to possess 14 grams of cannabis and grow up to two plants at home (maximum four per household). However, there would still be cannabis-related offences if the new law were violated. For example, it would still be criminal for people under the age of 20 to use cannabis, for anyone who can trade cannabis without a licence, to provide cannabis to people under the age of 20, and to drive while on disability. Referendum on legalizing recreational cannabis use We also need to interpret cannabis use data with caution. Because it is illegal, cannabis research has been difficult in the past and there are real concerns about collecting and storing data on who uses cannabis and where they get it from. People are also reluctant to be honest about their cannabis use when it is illegal, but more willing to report its use when it becomes legal. This gives the impression that use increased after legalization, although this does not explain the different changes between the different subgroups. Other methods of verifying cannabis use, such as wastewater testing such as those conducted in Washington State,[26] could circumvent these problems.