March 11, 2021
Cannabis law reform unfinished business
The NZ Drug Foundation wants the Government to reenter the fray on cannabis law reform.
A UMR survey commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation found less than a third of respondents were happy with the current law, 49 percent want legalisation – the same percentage that voted in favour at last year's referendum – and a clear majority want some form of decriminalisation.
Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm says the law does little to deter use.
She says putting the question to a referendum was a mistake, and there is unfinished business.
"The fact it is impacting young people and Māori is maybe why it's not such a top priority to address. The impact of both the cannabis harms and the legislative harms are so unfairly weighted to Māori and we really need to sort that out," Ms Helm says.
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