National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett in Dannevirke.Photo / Sue Emeny
Concerns over drug use in Dannevirke were apparent on Tuesday when there was strong community interest in an open drug forum attended by National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett.
The forum was organised by Wairarapa MP Alistair Scott ahead of next year's referendum on decriminalising cannabis.
First speaker was Tararua Addiction Support Network social worker Fiona Watson who said she left Dannevirke 25 years ago when businesses were closing down and it was becoming something of a ghost town.
"When I came back I saw a bit of a shift in the town and being a social worker I could see another side to the town. I am here to help that other side of the community."
As a social worker Watson said she saw that cannabis was not the issue, but meth definitely was.
"I've come to believe that all drugs need to be decriminalised. In Australia there are safe places where addicts can go to use drugs and it's while there that they can be helped."
Watson said with cannabis being the topic of the day she said if it was used in moderation and not hurting or creating problems within the family unit it was a yes from her for decriminalising it.
She had seen more harm from alcohol use than cannabis use but had also seen the health benefits from using cannabis.
Dannevirke Community Board member and Tararua Community Youth Services chairman Terry Hynes said the issue of getting help for the town's young people with mental health and addiction problems had been around for years.
"Mental health problems and drug addiction are affecting young people at a very early age. It's not just P that's the problem, it's synthetic drugs, cannabis and alcohol, it's across the board and there is very little help within Tararua."
Hynes said youth services had approached Mid-Central Health, the Tararua Health Group and Mash Trust for support although it was understood funding was an issue.
"After the Wellbeing Budget I rang the DHB and said 'you've got the money, we want our share of the cake. We want it for mental health and drug addiction services.
"A month later I had a call to say we had the funding."
Details of how the service would operate have yet to be worked out but Hynes said what needed to be considered was that young people with mental health and addiction issues wouldn't go to a public area for help. They needed help in a private and personal capacity.
He also raised the issue of jobs being lost through decriminalisation of cannabis.
"Cannabis stays in the system for days and many have drug testing. We had a number of young people apply for jobs. All but one failed the drug test and didn't get jobs."
Rangitāne O Tāmaki Nui a Rua drug and alcohol support workers Margie Delaney and Leonnie Motu outlined their thoughts on the cannabis referendum using the process they work with - Te Whare Tapa Whā, a health model developed by Professor Mason Durie.
This is based on a holistic health model representing four basic beliefs of life - physical, psychological, family and spiritual health.
For each of these four areas of health they looked at the benefits and risks associated with cannabis use.
Among the physical health benefits of cannabis use were the relief of chronic pain, help recovery from alcohol or opioid addiction, help for epileptics and MS sufferers.
Among the risks were a compromised lifestyle due to intoxication and recovery from the effects of intoxication and increased risks from driving and working.
Of the risks as far as mental health was concerned were panic attacks and paranoia, the effects on brain development in the young, and that it affected decision-making and interfered with learning.
The positive effects in terms of family health was cannabis had the potential to have a calming effect and reduce violence and decriminalisation would see no more jail time.
In terms of spiritual health, some cultures believed there were spiritual benefits and there was an enhancement of internal connections. But among the risks were a disconnection with self-belief systems.
At the start of her address Bennett said National supported quality medical cannabis being available to those who needed it.
"I want to start by talking about meth. We have a problem with meth in this country. We have too many of our young people, and too many of all ages and ethnicities, who have problems with meth."
Bennett talked about a Police-led pilot programme in Northland carried out with the District Health Board. In tackling drug problems it looked at housing, children and jobs.
"It looked at the whole person to find out what was behind the drug problem. It's been piloted, it worked so let's get on with it."'
She spoke of the risk posed by the use of psychotic substances.
"There have been over 80 deaths from this insidious, horrible stuff. The danger is you don't know what's in it."
Bennett said she wasn't hugely anti-marijuana but she was anti-meth and psychotic substances. But it was too soon to know what the effects of decriminalising cannabis would be on society.
"Why are we rushing in to this."
She said in 2018 eight people were jailed for cannabis offences. In 2017 554 were jailed for cannabis offences, but they also faced other charges.
"Police have stopped prosecutions for cannabis offences in some cases but decriminalisation will take away that discretion."
She felt this was not the right time to hold a referendum.
"If a National becomes government we would be putting money into fighting meth and the harm it is doing."