Government Releases Details of Cannabis Referendum Legalisation

The wording of the New Zealand cannabis referendum question has been confirmed as a straight Yes/No question. Kiwis will be asked:

Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?

• Yes, I support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill
• No, I do not support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill

The Government has described the referendum as binding, and political parties have said they will honor the result of the referendum.

Sales will be prohibited to anyone under 20 years, with up to 4 years in jail for anyone caught supplying anyone under 20. However any underage users caught will be dealt with via a health rather than criminal approach.

The law will also limit purchases to a maximum of only 14 grams.

Sadly the legislation will prohibit online sales. Yet more dangerous drugs like alcohol and tobacco are already sold online. Party pills with piperazines (BZP and TFMPP) and synthetic cannabinoids were sold online for many years, yet 99% of the problems associated with these substances were happening within meters of price-point brick and mortar stores. Now that we are in the COVID-19 era, online sales are more necessary than ever. With modern online age verification and sales tracking systems, there is no reason to prohibit online sales. In fact, online sales make more sense than brick and mortar sales.

What do you think? Would you prefer to purchase cannabis online? Do you think online sales should be legalized? Let us know what you think in the comments below:

Despite the many overly restrictive aspects of the legislation, we will be voting YES and encourage you to do the same. Don,t let perfect get in the way of better. Voting YES will for sure result in a less harmful cannabis policy. Together we can end the nightmare that has been prohibition and ensure a kinder future. Let's do this.

Sources: Stuff, NZ Herald.