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The Long White Cloud Land’s moniker could soon take on new meaning in New Zealand if its citizens vote to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in an overshadowed referendum this weekend.
It is the first time that a country has put the legalization of the recreational use of cannabis to a popular vote.
And it will happen alongside a national election that will either re-elect Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern or install her conservative National Party rival Judith Collins to the top.
In normal times, a dramatic reform like this would be a hot election issue, but in a campaign dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis isn’t getting much attention.
If it happens, New Zealand would join Uruguay and Canada as the only countries to fully legalize marijuana smoking domestically, and a swath of other countries that have relaxed their approach to it.
Eleven US states have also done so, while Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden plans to decriminalize cannabis use at the federal level if elected next month.
The outcome could affect Australia as well, with some progressive politicians here calling for us to follow the example of the Kiwis.
What is New Zealand considering?
If approved, New Zealanders over the age of 20 will be able to purchase up to 14 grams of dried marijuana per day and grow two cannabis plants each.
They could buy it from a licensed facility, like a dispensary, and use it on private property or at an approved location.
The proposed legislation restricts advertising and limits market share to ensure that no cannabis producer can dominate the market.
It also creates a special tax on cannabis products, which means an additional revenue stream for the New Zealand government.
The aim of the reform is to reduce cannabis-related harm, eliminate the black market, control the quality of cannabis, and reduce the chances of young people getting it.
It will happen?
It seems less likely, but some are optimistic that the vote will be successful.
Support has dropped for the past year; According to renowned pollster Colmar Brunton, of those surveyed in September, only 35 percent wanted marijuana legalized.
That’s less than 40 percent in June and 43 percent in November of last year.
Those figures are in line with another recent poll, conducted by Newshub Reid-Research, which found that 50.5 percent were against and 37.9 percent were in favor.
But according to a poll conducted last week by the Helen Clark Foundation and the New Zealand Drug Foundation, 49 percent of those surveyed supported the change, while 45 percent opposed.
It is worth noting that Helen Clark, the former prime minister, is in favor of cannabis reform, as is the NZ Drug Foundation.
But even if more than 50 percent of the population voted “yes,” recreational cannabis would not be immediately legal, or possibly not legal at all; the incoming government would still have to present it to parliament.
Collins, the leader of the center-right National Opposition, said his party would oppose it, while Ardern, who admitted to using cannabis in the past, does not say how he will vote in the referendum.
Is Australia taking notice?
Gamblers in Australia are closely watching what is happening in Tasmania.
Australia is a country that widely supports the decriminalization of marijuana, and that is reflected in the government’s own data.
According to the 2016 National Drugs Strategy Household Survey, 74% of Australians do not support cannabis possession as a crime.
And according to their 2020 survey, cannabis was the most widely used illicit drug in Australia last year, with 11.6% of Australians using it.
Cannabis also had a higher level of personal approval of regular use by an adult than tobacco for the first time in survey history: 19.6% compared to 15.4%.
The Australian Greens have stuck to numbers like these; They proposed decriminalization and the creation of a recreational cannabis industry in the 2019 federal elections, and they stick to politics.
“When New Zealand successfully legalizes cannabis, it will be a massive signal to the Australian government that giving people access to cannabis is good policy,” Greens leader Adam Bandt told ABC.
The Greens won’t win an election entirely, but legalizing cannabis could be one of their demands if Labor ever needs help to form a minority government in the future.
Ms Arden won the support of the New Zealand Green Party in 2017 by agreeing to legalize cannabis through this referendum, so it’s not as far-fetched as you might think.
Some pro-cannabis politicians at the state level are also keeping a close eye on New Zealand, such as Victoria’s Upper House MP Fiona Patten, NSW’s Upper House MP Rose Jackson and Michael Pettersson on the ACT.
“We follow New Zealand in giving women the vote and equal marriage, so maybe we will follow them on this important social issue,” said Patten, who is also a member of Victorian research currently investigating cannabis reform there. state.
But a spokesman for the Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, said the Australian government did not support the legalization of cannabis for recreational use.
“While many Australians may view cannabis use as harmless, nearly a quarter of Australia’s drug and alcohol treatment services are provided to people who identify cannabis as their main drug of interest (roughly the same number of episodes treatment than for amphetamine use), “said the spokesperson.
The Australian government’s approach is to prevent absorption and delay first-time use, provide access to treatment and support services, and prevent and interrupt the supply of cannabis to reduce availability.
But there is a footnote.
“However, issues related to the legalization or decriminalization of cannabis are predominantly matters for states and territories,” the spokesperson said.
The ACT is the only jurisdiction in Australia that has legalized cannabis for personal use (although the reforms did not go so far as to establish a market to produce, buy and sell), and the Federal Government did not revoke those reforms despite having the power. to.
What reforms is Australia considering?
The only reforms being discussed here are in regards to low-dose medical cannabis products, such as cannabidiol oil (CBD), definitely not as dramatic as New Zealand’s proposal for a recreational industry, nor the promise of Biden to legalize recreational use nationwide. level in America.
Australia’s drug regulator, The Therapeutics Administration, is currently considering a proposal that would make low-dose CBD products available without a prescription early next year.
Currently, people using medical cannabis products in Australia, even if they only contain CBD, need a script from a doctor to buy them.
However, these CBD products, which can be used to treat epilepsy, chronic pain and inflammation, anxiety and insomnia, do not contain THC, the psychoactive element that gets you high.
The take home?
While the federal government supports the medical cannabis industry, don’t expect any other changes at the national level in terms of recreational use anytime soon, regardless of New Zealand’s outcome.
