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Despite the hopes among the Yes campaign, the special votes failed to change the results of the referendum on cannabis.
Recreational cannabis will remain illegal, with 50.7 percent voting “no” and 48.4 percent voting “yes.”
With the final tally of some 500,000 special votes released on Friday, a total of 50.7 percent of the people voted against the Cannabis Control and Legalization Bill, making the vote much closer than that. 53 percent against the first count.
Preliminary results published a week earlier showed 53.1% of the votes against the cannabis control and legalization bill and 46.1% in favor.
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* Recreational cannabis is still illegal in New Zealand as special votes fail to change the results.
* Greens have largely been left on the lawn.
* Cannabis referendum: What about the law and the police now?
Devastation and anger at the emotional results party
There was a silent silence and a nervous inhalation in the New Zealand Drug Foundation office.
The crowd in the room knew that the Yes vote needed to close a seven-point margin based on the special votes. It was a long shot, but there was a sense of optimism.
ROSA WOODS / Things
There was nervous energy in the NZ Drug Foundation office as supporters awaited the final results of the cannabis referendum.
When the clock struck 2pm and the results screen refreshed, it was clear that it wasn’t enough. The margin has been significantly reduced, but they have fallen short.
Fiona Hutton, a criminologist at the University of Victoria, was in tears when the final result came in.
Throughout her academic career and her previous work in harm reduction, she had been closely associated with people suffering from drug addiction, homelessness, and criminal convictions.
“It just makes me feel sad for those people,” he said.
ROSA WOODS / Things
Fiona Hutton, a criminologist at the University of Victoria, was in tears when the final result came in.
He silently hugged his student and prisoner rights activist Awatea Mita as they read and processed the results.
Hutton said she was “heartbroken” but optimistic that the fight for drug reform would continue.
No campaign celebrates, wants more medicinal reforms
Say No a Dope spokesman Aaron Ironside said the group was pleased and relieved with the result.
Despite its opposition to recreational cannabis, the group supported new reforms for medicinal users.
“I think the reason why you have won the negative vote is sufficient. New Zealanders believe there has been enough reform with medical cannabis as legal, although that law obviously needs improvement and a change to the Drug Abuse Act. I really think this is a vote that says this is enough change for now. “
Supplied
Aaron Ironside, spokesman for the Say Nope To Dope campaign, says he is pleased and relieved with the result.
He felt that medical cannabis should be available to sick and suffering people.
“We believe that a negative vote forces the government to fix a broken law, rather than trying to bypass the weakness of that law through legalization.”
THINGS
Jacinda Ardern explains her vote in the cannabis referendum.
Defenders won’t stop fighting
“We are not going to give up,” was the rallying cry of Stephen Blyth, communications director for the New Zealand Drug Foundation.
“Based on the outcome we have seen, drug law reform is firmly on the agenda and it is not going away.”
New Zealand Drug Foundation policy manager Kali Mercier said that while it was still a loss, a two-point loss sent a very different message than a seven-point loss.
ROSA WOODS / Things
New Zealand Drug Foundation policy manager Kali Mercier said the small loss showed a mandate for change.
“This is absolutely more of a mandate, I have no doubt,” Mercier said. “That is a clear mandate for some kind of change.”
Surveys conducted by the foundation in 2017 found that only 28% of New Zealanders supported the legalization of cannabis. The fact that the referendum was so close is proof of how far New Zealanders have changed their views.
Mercer said the foundation had not decided on its next strategy, but would likely seek some form of decriminalization or reform of the Drug Abuse Act within the next term.
RICKY WILSON / Stuff
Green MP Chloe Swarbrick said she was pleased to have started a conversation about drug reform in New Zealand.
Green Party MP and vocal supporter Chloe Swarbrick said that despite the outcome, she was glad to have started a conversation about the need for proper drug laws in New Zealand.
“As a country, we have come so far in understanding the need to reduce the harm of drugs by taking them out of the shadows.”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced after the election that she had voted “yes” in the referendum, but said today that Labor would not attempt to legalize or decriminalize cannabis in light of the referendum result.
Dominico Zapata / Things
Recreational cannabis is still illegal in New Zealand, and 50.7% of New Zealanders voted “no” in the referendum.
The Covid-19 pandemic had not deterred people from voting, said Election Director Alicia Wright, with 2.9 million people voting.
It was the highest turnout for an election since 1999, with 82.2 percent of registered voters expressing their opinion. The final enrollment rate, 94.1%, was the highest since 2008.
“This was not a typical election, there were two referenda, another huge increase in early voting and for the first time people were able to register to vote on Election Day.”
The votes counted on election night have been counted with special votes, which include votes sent by mail and abroad, and votes cast by people who voted in an electorate other than the one they are registered for.
