Cannabis referendum in 2020 elections: New Zealand’s leading health experts say they vote ‘yes’ in a Medical Journal editorial

Some of New Zealand’s leading medical experts have come out in favor of a “yes” vote in the upcoming referendum on cannabis.

An editorial in the New Zealand Medical Journal called the Cannabis Control and Legalization Bill referendum a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to place evidence-based controls around a substance that is widely used and not is regulated. “

“A vote in favor is not a vote in favor of cannabis, it is a vote in favor of placing public health controls on a substance that is currently left to the black market for its management,” the authors, treatment specialists of addictions, public health Maori health equity and epidemiology – he said.

“If the referendum is successful, it will result in public health legislation with world-leading goals and aspirations that could serve as a model for other countries.”

The strong vote of support comes a week after early voting for the referendum opened, and the latest poll showed a slight advantage in support.

A Horizon Research poll found that 52 percent of respondents supported the bill and 47 percent opposed it, a slight change from 49.5 percent for each recorded in an August poll.

The editorial also contrasts the perspective of the New Zealand Medical Association, publisher of the magazine, which this week came under fire for publicly stating that it opposed the bill without consulting members.

One of the authors, epidemiologist Dr. Michael Baker, told the Herald that this peer-reviewed editorial, like all those published by the journal, was independent and purely reflected the views of the authors.

It was not a response to the NZMA’s position, he said.

“It is pure coincidence, we wrote this a month ago.”

Baker, who is not a member of the NZMA, said he was not sure what evidence they based their position on and that it seemed “unusual that such a definite policy is adopted on something like this.”

“When the evidence is so compelling for law reform, one thing that leans me in favor of it is putting politics on the agenda for the new parliament to scrutinize, debate thoroughly, rather than just shut it down.

“Our prohibition model does not work. Supporting the reform of the law consists of reformulating the use of cannabis as a health problem that opens up new, more effective ways of minimizing the harm caused by this drug.”

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in New Zealand. The latest figures from the New Zealand Health Survey indicate that 15 percent, or 590,000 adults, used cannabis in the past 12 months.

The editorial, written by Baker, Professor Papaarangi Reid, Professor Louise Signal and Dr. Sam McBride, cited the Christchurch longitudinal study, which found that 76.7% of participants had tried cannabis when they were 25 years old.

They noted that use was most intense in the 15-24 age group, and those under 25 were also the group most at risk for adverse health effects from cannabis use.

Health harms were primarily experienced by those who began using young, heavy and frequent, consumed high potency products, and / or had a history of psychosis.
in the family.

These were the groups that public health interventions to reduce harm should focus on, but the ban was not adequate to ensure that would happen, they said.

They also cited research by the Chief Scientific Advisor, which found that prohibition also did not reduce cannabis use for those captured, noting that 95 percent of those convicted continued to use at the same or higher level.

“Our laws on cannabis are not only ineffective, they are directly harmful to
they get mad at them, “the authors said.

“Several thousand New Zealanders are sentenced each year for cannabis-related crimes, with implications for employment, travel, education, future income and mental health.

“More than half of these convictions are for minor offenses, such as possession or use
of cannabis, and those affected are disproportionately young and / or Maori. “

Papaarangi Reid, head of the Department of Maori Health at the University of Auckland, said they were “especially concerned that Maori have endured the brunt of the skewed application and negative health effects of illegal cannabis.”

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.

Maori are almost twice as likely as non-Maori to go to court for a first offense and almost seven times more likely to be charged.

They are also more likely to be harmed by cannabis use and less likely to be able to access health treatment.

“This fall in our drug laws is a high and unfair price to pay for a policy that is not effective in reducing harmful use,” they said.

The bill also included primarily civil rather than criminal penalties for infractions, acting more like a speeding ticket.

The regulation would allow public health interventions, functioning in a similar way to tobacco, where consumption has been cut in half in the last two decades.

Meanwhile, annual unregulated cannabis use nearly doubled from 8% to 15% between 2011 and 2019.

The bill also learned from mistakes made with other regulated products, such as not allowing advertisers to saturate radio waves and sports fields with brand names.

By legalizing, people would be more encouraged to seek help for cannabis-related health problems, a particularly dire situation for Maori.

The bill sets aside a sales tax to support help-seeking services and would require a Cannabis Regulatory Authority to develop and implement a harm reduction strategy that covers prevention, education and treatment.

Civil society would also have input through a Cannabis Advisory Committee, a watchdog body of the regulatory authority that should include Maori representation.

The authors acknowledged that there was a risk of unpredictable outcomes, as with all public health interventions, but it was not acceptable to continue with the status quo.

“Responsible legal regulation means addressing harmful use and reducing the criminal, social and health impacts for Maori.

“A vote for yes is a vote for health, not for wives.”