Live Chat #5: Cannabis Control Bill – The case for a Yes vote
Live Chat #5: Cannabis Control Bill – The case for a Yes vote
Cannabis use is a reality in New Zealand. Despite almost 55 years of prohibition, it is New Zealand’s most widely used illicit drug. Evidence shows that up to 80% of New Zealanders will use cannabis at least once before they turn 21.
This September, New Zealanders will have the chance to make a historic decision – do we accept that the status quo has failed, and try something new? The Bill we’ll all be voting on at the referendum aims to put regulations in place to minimise the social and health harms of cannabis, and place much-needed controls around the existing illicit market.
Our amazing line up of panelists answered questions about legalisation in this Q&A co-hosted by the NZ Drug Foundation and the Helen Clark Foundation. The speakers covered the health impacts, the social justice and criminal justice impacts of legalisation. They gave an overview of what’s proposed in Aotearoa and put that in context of what’s happening internationally.
Our panelists:
Rt Hon Helen Clark: Patron of the Helen Clark Foundation, and Commissioner at the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
Steve Rolles: Senior Policy Analyst, Transform Drug Policy Foundation, United Kingdom
Dr Hinemoa Elder: Child and adolescent psychiatrist and the Māori strategic leader for Brain Research NZ
Co-chaired by Ross Bell, Executive Director of the Drug Foundation and Katherine Errington, Executive Director of the Helen Clark Foundation.
History shows the Israelite s used it while at the sacrificial alter 3000yrs ago,Shiva also introduced it too the people.Today its about fiat currency and greed,sad for such a sacred gift ,introduced to ALL people freely.
I gather that if the referendum fails, all it means it goes to parliament. So even after a yes vote, it could still be voted down. Imagine if there had been this many hurdles before things like giving women the vote, legalising homosexuality or any other contentious issue could be passed. We would be living in a very different country today. I would be almost impossible to get any social progress in this country through. It didn’t take all these hurdles to pass this law in the first place.
We’ve got a bit of an edge in that most people aren’t bothered enough about it to vote either way, all we have to do is outnumber the die-hard anti cannabis types. We can do this guys just be sure to vote.