New Zealand's 'cannabis crisis': smokers confirm chronic shortage

Police seizure of 9,000 cannabis plants sees demand for marijuana far outstrip supply across New Zealand
The Guardian (UK)
Thursday, March 17, 2016

New Zealand suffers from a chronic shortage of marijuana. The “catastrophic” situation was first reported on by Don Rowe, a staff writer at The Spinoff, who wrote that New Zealand’s most popular illegal substance was “almost unobtainable in any meaningful amount right now”. “Blame it on the police, the gangs, the weather or just the grow cycle of your average cannabis harvest; no matter which way you slice it, it’s dry out there.” The island nation is understood to punch above its weight in terms of cannabis consumption with 42% of all adults over 15 having tried the substance, despite penalties ranging from a NZ$500 fine for possession to a two to 14-year prison sentence for growth, cultivation, supply or manufacture.