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Some of New Zealand’s most experienced public health experts have come out in support of the legalization of marijuana, one week before the country’s general election.
In an editorial in the New Zealand Medical Journal, specialists from the fields of addiction treatment, public health, health promotion and epidemiology urged New Zealanders to mark yes in the referendum, days after a poll showed the vote. on the razor’s edge.
The referendum is a “once in a generation opportunity” to legalize cannabis and promote equality in health, the editorial said.
Professor Michael Baker of the University of Otago, one of the key architects of the country’s successful Covid-19 response, says that New Zealand has shown that it is a world leader in utilizing “innovative and evidence-based approaches” for complex public health problems.
“It is time to take the same new approach to cannabis law and put public health first,” says Professor Baker.
“Our model of cannabis prohibition is outdated and not working. Supporting the reform of the law consists of rethinking cannabis use as a health problem that opens up new and more effective ways to minimize the damage caused by this drug. “
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in New Zealand.
The latest New Zealand Health Survey found that 15%, or 590,000 New Zealand adults used cannabis in the past 12 months.
Maori make up 16% of New Zealand’s population and are shown to be disproportionately affected by New Zealand drug laws, facing three times more arrests and prosecutions for cannabis possession than non-Maori.
Professor Papaarangi Reid, head of the Maori health department at the University of Auckland, argues that legalization would help control the potency of the drug, its price, and make it less accessible to young people.
“We are particularly concerned that Maori have been the hardest hit by partial law enforcement and the negative health effects of illegal cannabis,” says Reid.
“We know that Maori are three times more likely to be arrested and convicted of a cannabis-related crime than non-Maori with the same level of use. This is an unacceptably high price to pay, especially for a policy that is not effective in reducing harmful use. “
Other high-profile figures supporting an affirmative vote on cannabis legalization include former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who described cannabis surveillance as “the worst waste of taxpayers’ money” and devoted a significant amount of time and resources to campaign for its legalization.
National party leader Judith Collins has said that she has never tried cannabis and will vote no in the referendum. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she has used it “a long time ago” but has not disclosed how she plans to vote.
