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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Letters: Legislation should focus on cannabis harm, not ideology

Bay of Plenty Times
9 May, 2019 04:00 PM2 mins to read

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Cannabis can be compared with alcohol in terms of the harm it can cause, says a reader. Photo / File

Cannabis can be compared with alcohol in terms of the harm it can cause, says a reader. Photo / File

John Roughan (Opinion, May 7) implies that there will be less crime with an open market for drugs.

Evidently, this is mistaken - we have more than 300 alcohol-related offences per day in New Zealand, in an overly commercialised environment.

The "puritans" he refers to acknowledge that drugs are not ordinary commodities, and need to be treated accordingly.

After careful consideration of overseas and local evidence, the NZ Drug foundation has recommended light regulation as the least harmful of potential legal situations, which range from prohibition to no regulation at all.

There are harms with legalisation, but the evidence points to lesser harms, and arguing with false dichotomies is unhelpful to the debate which should centre on the balance of harm, not the absence of it.

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He also describes the marijuana experience in an all-or-nothing way when cannabis has markedly variable effects depending on dose, preparation, strain and context of consumption.

A free market for cannabis will create problems with physical and mental health, car accidents and lost productivity, as it has with alcohol - so our legislation should focus on harm, not ideology.

Dr Tony Farrell
Mount Maunganui

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Procrastination is the thief of time

Seriously, how hard is it for the council to lease a paddock with the capacity for 400 cars, next to the rail track at Omokoroa near Goldstone Rd or similar, and run a commuter train into the CBD of Tauranga at 7.30am each day?

Will they continue procrastinating? Guess it is easier to blame the NZTA and RMA.

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Letters: No simple solutions for Tauranga congestion

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Letters: Councillors have power to change driver behaviour

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Ian Davies
Tauranga

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters from readers. Please note the following:

• Letters should not exceed 200 words.

• They should be opinion based on facts or current events.

• If possible, please email.

• No noms-de-plume.

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• Letters will be published with names and suburb/city.

• Please include full name, address and contact details for our records only.

• Local letter writers given preference.

• Rejected letters are not normally acknowledged.

• Letters may be edited, abridged, or rejected at the Editor's discretion.

• The Editor's decision on publication is final.

Email editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz

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