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In the last week before the referendum on the legalization of cannabis, the New Zealand Medical Association changed its position from an opposition position to one of neutrality.
The move comes after some doctors complained about the association’s opposition to the legalization of the drug, saying they had not been consulted and that discussion and debate about the association’s position had not occurred.
Doctors told RNZ that the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) was also basing its position on outdated tests and advice from 2012.
More than 1.15 million people have already cast an early vote, almost double the number who had voted right now before the 2017 elections.
Last week, Dr. Kate Baddock, chair of the NZMA board, explained her support for a negative vote. “Our position on cannabis has focused on the harms of cannabis,” said Dr. Baddock. “It’s been there since 2012. It has been reiterated several times during that time, and this is an organizational and board position, it has nothing to do with me personally.”
The association’s position led at least one doctor to resign and others to complain, demanding that the organization conduct a survey on the issue among members.
Dr. Nina Sawicki said she disagreed with the lack of consultation and has resigned her membership. “I decided to leave because I felt that his stance on the cannabis referendum, while not wrong, felt that it was incomplete,” Dr. Sawicki told RNZ.
“I didn’t feel like it addressed the broader spectrum of harm that comes from current cannabis use. I felt like they took a very limited medical approach to the harm of cannabis. “
Now, in a surprise move just three days before Saturday’s general election, the association has changed its position to neutral, describing its new position in a letter to members.
“The NZMA will have no position on the referendum itself,” the letter reads. “We are very sorry if anyone feels that the NZMA has not given them the opportunity to speak their minds.”
NZMA has not responded to The Guardian’s request for comment.
Last week, some of New Zealand’s most experienced public health experts gave their support to the yes campaign.
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 legalize cannabis, days after a poll showed the vote on the edge. of the razor.
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.
