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Swarbrick, who also serves as the Green Party’s drug law reform spokesperson, said the plethora of polls showing varying levels of support for the proposed legislation had offered conflicting information on the referendum, creating confusion among New Zealanders.
However, he noted that the general trend in the polls indicates that the results of the referendum will be “very tight.”
“I think the important thing is how this question is asked and presented to people,” he told host Mitch McCann.
“Basically [polling trends suggest] This is going to be very tight, it’s on a razor’s edge. I think what he’s saying is that there’s still a great deal of confusion, which is largely being spurred on by a ‘[vote] no ‘which seeks to sow fear and doubt, basically to try to tell people to vote yes to implement a sensible and mature adult framework – to reduce harm, to increase the well-being of the community, to ensure that our children are not using this substance – it is combined with the idea of whether you support cannabis or not. “
Swarbrick said it is imperative that Kiwis do not confuse the referendum with their own personal sentiment towards cannabis use.
“I think it is very important that Kiwis understand that this referendum is not about whether you like, support or use cannabis; this referendum is about the kind of frames we want in response to a substance that 80% of the population will use in its for life, and that 11 percent of the population consumes on a regular basis, “he said.
He also argued that $ 300 million in police funds to enforce cannabis prohibition could be better spent elsewhere.
“That’s what the legalization debate is all about, but it ends up trapped in some pretty frames of arguments, to be honest, misleading, particularly from the Opposition.”
