Referendums on Euthanasia and Cannabis: How the World Reacted

New Zealand’s referendum votes have made headlines around the world with a report calling the missed opportunity to legalize cannabis a “what if” moment, while a Catholic media outlets condemned support for euthanasia.

Kiwis have voted yes to euthanasia and no to legalization of cannabis, preliminary figures showed.

With an estimated 17 percent of the votes yet to be counted, 65.2 percent voted in favor of the End-of-Life Election Law, while 53.1 percent voted against the draft law. control and legalization of cannabis.

The results were broadcast in major media outlets around the world, including the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, Time, and the Financial Times.

Yet despite 53 percent of Kiwis voting against legalizing cannabis, a press report from the Australian Associated Press called the vote a “what if” moment.

He noted how Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern voted in favor of cannabis legalization, but did not reveal her support until after the first voting results were released.

The outlet hinted that Ardern’s star power could have helped shift the vote in favor of the yes field, with the headline: “Ardern’s silence on cannabis influences New Zealand polls.”

“Given the historic popularity of the Labor leader – evidenced by her crushing re-election – advocates of drug law reform were unaware that a potential supporter was sitting in the debate,” the AAP reported.

Khylee Quince, a board member of the NZ Drug Foundation and an AUT scholar, told the outlet that she was not angry with the prime minister, “just very disappointed.”

“(His public support) would have been quite significant.

“People see her as a thoughtful and empathetic person, the leader of the nation and she pushes buttons for particular demographics,” he said.

Greens MP Chloe Swarbrick also attacked the prime minister, telling the AAP she was on the Greens because she had “courage” to go public with her convictions.

Ardern herself has said that she kept her vote private so that Labor politicians and the public could vote in the referendum without her influence.

Also in Australia, the Catholic Weekly warned that Kiwis would now be in danger due to the nation’s vote for legalizing euthanasia.

“Legal experts and pro-life advocates warn that the vulnerable sick, the elderly and people with disabilities will be at risk when proposed legislation on assisted suicide goes into effect in New Zealand next year,” he said.

He quoted Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP as saying that the elderly and vulnerable deserved better, and one advocate for life called it “a very dark day” in New Zealand history.

Financial reporting site The Motley Fool noted the impact on the stock market caused by New Zealand’s vote against legalizing cannabis in an article titled: “New Zealand Referendum Induces Investors Paranoia.”

“We can probably attribute today’s negative movements in the cannabis sector to the recently released results of the referendum,” the outlet reported.

He said the referendum result would have an effect on the Australian stock market, saying that a legalized New Zealand cannabis market would have been a boon for companies planning to sell legalized cannabis.

“Not only would it have resulted in a potentially massive Tasmanian-wide market for cannabis products, it would likely have also increased pressure for Australian states to do the same in the coming years,” the report said.

“That outlook now seems much darker in light of this result.”

Most of the media, however, reported New Zealand’s two referendum votes with little opinion or comment.

Many pointed out that New Zealand had now voted to join a handful of countries in the world that have legalized euthanasia.

“New Zealand will join a small number of countries that have legalized euthanasia after their citizens overwhelmingly voted in favor of it in a referendum this month,” said the New York Times.