Legalisation: the chance to right wrongs
New Zealand has a golden opportunity to observe many other jurisdictions that have legalised or decriminalised cannabis and learn from their mistakes
Matters of Substance (New Zealand)
March 2019
March 2019
If New Zealand votes to legalise cannabis in 2020’s binding referendum, we will have a unique opportunity on our hands. Creating a licit market from scratch means the government can legislate for particular outcomes, before the gates are open and the proverbial horse has bolted. As it relates to harm caused by drug laws, this means there is an opportunity to legislate and regulate a legal cannabis market so that communities who have suffered under prohibition benefit economically and socially from the licitmarket. Righting wrongs and closing gaps are best done alongside decriminalisation right at the outset. (See also: Regulating cannabis - a challenge we are more than up to)
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