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New Zealand voted to legalize euthanasia, but seems willing to reject a legal offer to allow recreational use of marijuana.
Two referendums took place at the same time as the general elections that saw Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern win a second term this month.
The first vote on assisted death has already obtained enough “yes” votes (65.2%) to become law, which means New Zealand it will become the seventh country in the world to legalize euthanasia.
But with nearly half a million mail-order votes yet to be counted, 53.1% of New Zealanders have voted against joining Canada and Uruguay in legalizing cannabis, the electoral commission said on Friday.
As a result of the vote on assisted death, starting in November 2021, terminally ill patients with less than six months to live will be able to organize their own death.
They must be 18 years old and have the approval of two doctors, establishes the recently approved legislation.
The final results of both referendums will be announced on November 6.
In 2017, Mrs. Ardern supported a referendum on cannabis to form a coalition government.
She declined to say how she would vote, until Friday when her spokesperson said she supported both referenda.
