Wednesday, 06 December 2023
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDRIVEN Car GuideThe CountryPhoto SalesiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub
Voyager 2023 media awards
Subscribe

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand / Politics

Editorial: NZ should wait and see on cannabis legalisation

NZ Herald
9 Jul, 2017 05:00 PM3 mins to read
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
Five out of six Members of Parliament, speaking as part of a conference panel on Wednesday, support a bill to legalise medicinal cannabis. Source: NZN Video

When journalists asked Bill English last week if he had any plans to legalise cannabis, the answer would have surprised no one. The Prime Minister replied: "In New Zealand we have always taken the view that some of these drugs cause so much harm that they should be illegal."

English's stance has frustrated many drug reform advocates, who believe the worldwide war on drugs has not only failed but is now in full retreat. They argue that the multibillion-dollar global drug trade is growing stronger than ever in the hands of organised crime and users are criminalised, which makes it harder for them to get help. Drug use, they say, should be a health issue, not a criminal issue.

The message is starting to have an impact. Five American states have legalised cannabis for recreational use, including Nevada last week. Next year Canada will follow suit. Many countries, including Germany and Ireland, are legalising medical marijuana. The extreme example is Portugal, which decriminalised the possession of all drugs for personal use in 2001 but insisted on a medical assessment for every user. It has since had a fall in HIV infections and drug-related deaths.

Associate health minister Peter Dunne has been emboldened by this worldwide trend to suggest decriminalising cannabis here. Dunne would follow the Portuguese model but also allow cannabis sellers, along with other drug manufacturers, to submit their products for testing before sale.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Dunne was shut down instantly by English but has also failed to win much wider political support, presumably because party leaders know a minefield when they see one. New Zealand has already flirted with legalising synthetic cannabis in 2013, with disastrous results. The public outcry put an end to this country's short-lived plans for a legal market in soft drugs.

The experience should make us wary about overseas claims for legalisation. For instance teen cannabis use in Colorado may have fallen but that flies in the face of our legal highs debacle and human nature in general. If an illegal substance is made legal, usually more people will want to try it, as they no longer fear the social stigma or a criminal conviction.

The theory that legalisation will drive out drug-related crime may also be overstated, as illegal suppliers who pay no tax and have lower overheads are likely to undercut licensed drug traders and target price-sensitive young buyers.

Even Maori Party leader Marama Fox, who supports decriminalisation, is worried about increasing the availability of a drug that has devastated many Maori families. "It is not harmless," she said at a drug symposium last week. "And I think if we ignore that part of the conversation then we are not being upfront with ourselves."

Dunne deserves credit for trying to fix a broken system. But New Zealand's best course of action for now would be to wait and see if the Canadian-American experiment works or not.

Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Tempers fly between councillors at Auckland Council budget meeting

06 Dec 02:22 AM
New Zealand

Al fresco dining to cost Tauranga businesses - council

06 Dec 02:13 AM
New Zealand

Guide dog Julz lands on her paws in Whanganui

06 Dec 02:00 AM
New Zealand

Afternoon quiz: What is the largest moon in our solar system?

06 Dec 02:00 AM

Toy trends for Christmas

sponsored

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Tempers fly between councillors at Auckland Council budget meeting

Tempers fly between councillors at Auckland Council budget meeting

06 Dec 02:22 AM

Mike Lee and Shane Henderson have a history of bad blood.

Al fresco dining to cost Tauranga businesses - council

Al fresco dining to cost Tauranga businesses - council

06 Dec 02:13 AM
Guide dog Julz lands on her paws in Whanganui

Guide dog Julz lands on her paws in Whanganui

06 Dec 02:00 AM
Afternoon quiz: What is the largest moon in our solar system?

Afternoon quiz: What is the largest moon in our solar system?

06 Dec 02:00 AM
More houses coming
sponsored

More houses coming

About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2023 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP