Tobacco is more addictive than cocaine, but there is no sign that marijuana causes physiological addiction. If you ban pot, you may as well ban burger eating, bungee jumping or any other moderately risky pastime.
Studies show up to one-in10 users develop dependence over time. Stopping marijuana use can lead to withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and irritability. Over half the 7. Making it legal will mean more people will use it — including youngsters — and more people will become addicted.
Legalizing cannabis would take the trade out of the hands of criminal gangs. Legalized, pot could be properly regulated to ensure quality and safety — just like any other product. Freed from chasing hapless dope-smokers, law enforcement agencies could focus on dealing with hard drug pushers who do real harm. Drug testing job applicants and employees without evidence of workplace impairment is not only invasive and humiliating but cuts off paths to employment and familial stability.
Learn more about how the drug war robs livelihoods at UprootingTheDrugWar. We worked with House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler and then Senator Kamala Harris to draft and introduce the legislation, and partnered with other national civil and human rights organizations to form the Marijuana Justice Coalition , which has worked to ensure that federal marijuana reform puts those who have been most harmed by prohibition front and center. Read our January report to learn how and why marijuana legalization is working.
Reduce harm The criminalization of marijuana use disproportionately harms young people and people of color, sponsors massive levels of violence and corruption, and fails to curb youth access. Create jobs Legalizing and regulating marijuana will bring one of the nation's largest cash crops under the rule of law. This will create jobs and economic opportunities in the formal economy instead of the illicit market.
Save money Scarce law enforcement resources will be better used to ensure public safety while reducing corrections and court costs. State and local governments would acquire significant new sources of tax revenue from regulating marijuana sales. Because of the illegal status of cannabis, research to understand its impacts on driving impairment has been difficult.
As a result, there is no guidance to drivers about how much cannabis can be consumed before it is unsafe to drive or how long to wait to drive after consuming cannabis.
There is a small 1. There is conflicting evidence about the impact on traffic fatalities where cannabis has been legalised overseas, partly because of limited data and partly because there may be increased testing for cannabis after a motor vehicle accident once it is legalised. There is conflicting evidence about the impact on traffic fatalities where cannabis has been legalised overseas. There are two main ways these studies have been done so far. One way is researchers testing whether there are correlations between, for example, the number of car accidents and the timing of the law change.
The limitation with this approach is that the drivers are not actually tested to see if they had used cannabis so the results could be caused or influenced by something other than cannabis.
The other way is to test for the presence of cannabis specifically THC in the blood of drivers who crash. Because of the limitations in how these studies are done, all research into car accidents and cannabis legalisation should be interpreted with caution. Because of inherent limitations in studies relating to impairment, the same caution should be applied to studies of cannabis use and workplace accidents. Estimates of the potential revenue from a legal cannabis market in Aotearoa New Zealand need to be interpreted with caution because many estimates were made prior to the details of the parameters for taxes, levies and licensing fees being shared in the final draft bill.
All estimates also depend on the size of the market, which is uncertain. Rather than being a profit-making enterprise for the government, it is more helpful to consider that a legal framework will allow for more meaningful spending associated with cannabis use — shifting from enforcement costs to health-related costs.
Cannabis law reform is taking place across the world. Many countries have taken steps to decriminalise cannabis use or to legalise medicinal use of cannabis. Very recently, a few countries and states have legalised recreational use of cannabis. Status of cannabis law reform for recreational cannabis use worldwide. For ACT and South Africa, there is no commercial market or way to purchase cannabis through regulated stores, only home grow is allowed.
In contrast, the other places that have legalised cannabis allow for purchase, with Uruguay having a government-controlled market, most US states having commercial markets, and Canada having a commercial market with tighter regulation.
Research to understand the impacts of these policy changes on public health, public safety, youth and social outcomes is underway and ongoing, but there is insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions. The limited evidence from overseas examples is mixed and constantly evolving — outcomes from early studies appear to be both positive and negative.
There are many knowledge gaps and limitations in our understanding of the impacts of cannabis legalisation and commercialisation. The biggest issue is that because cannabis has been legalised for recreational use so recently it is difficult to draw conclusions about the potential effects.
We also need to interpret available data with caution. There is sometimes a considerable delay between the law changing and the changes being implemented, which means a simplistic look at the data can lead to incorrect conclusions. Changes to the legal status of cannabis might mean that people are more likely to report use in surveys or to healthcare workers, possibly making cannabis use appear to increase when it has not. New Zealanders are voting whether to legalise cannabis at the upcoming referendum.
In general, it is too early to tell the full effects of cannabis legalisation and we are unlikely to know these for decades. Even in the future, we may be limited in drawing firm conclusions about the effects of legalising and commercialising cannabis due to the lack of historical data. Nevertheless, lessons can be learned from early adopters, including Uruguay , Canada and some states in the US.
New Zealanders are NOT voting to decriminalise cannabis at the upcoming referendum. However, decriminalisation has been in practice in some jurisdictions for a long time and can give some insight into the impacts of taking the threat of criminal justice out of using cannabis.
This includes the Netherlands , Australia , Spain and Portugal. See all case studies. The Uruguayan government legalised recreational use of cannabis in Uruguayan citizens not tourists who are 18 years or older and want legal cannabis have to register for use and choose either home growing, cannabis social clubs or purchasing from an authorised pharmacy.
Eleven states have legalised recreational cannabis use, though cannabis remains prohibited under federal law. For many states this followed establishment of a medicinal cannabis market and previous decriminalisation of cannabis use. In most states with a legal cannabis market, products can be purchased in unlimited strengths and forms from retail stores.
Some parts of Spain have taken a liberal approach to cannabis regulation since the s. Grey areas in the legislation meant that cannabis social clubs emerged in the early s, producing cannabis for non-profit distribution solely to a closed group of adult members.
These non-commercial organisations do not have specific formal regulation or nation-wide criteria, but certain areas have enforced regulation of some aspects of cannabis social clubs. Portugal decriminalised all drug use, including cannabis, in In the time since, rates of drug use have not changed significantly but the health and social outcomes for people who use drugs have improved — mostly due to changes in injecting drug use. It is still illegal to possess, supply or sell cannabis but the penalties are smaller.
Canada legalised recreational use of cannabis in Because this change was so recent, the impacts of regulation on social and health outcomes are not yet clear. Many people still purchase cannabis from illegal sources due to cost and supply issues because the commercial market is in its infancy, but the number of people reporting purchase for legal sources continues to increase.
Over that time, the rates of cannabis use have been the same for people in the Netherlands compared to their European neighbours where cannabis is illegal. In contrast, arrests and convictions for possession for personal use are very low and arrests and criminal records for use or minor possession are extremely rare.
Cannabis remains prohibited under federal law, but in January the Australian Capital Territory ACT became the first to legalise recreational cannabis use but not sales. South Australia and the Northern Territory have all decriminalised cannabis for possession of small quantities. Key resources and reports for more information about cannabis and drug law reform.
A website that houses statistics related to health, justice, the economy and prices of cannabis for Canada following legalisation of cannabis in , reported quarterly. How will cannabis legalisation affect health, safety, and social equity outcomes? It largely depends on the 14Ps , Beau Kilmer An essay by a drug policy expert about 14 factors that should be considered during design of cannabis regulation to improve impacts of legalisation. Leung et al A summary of the empirical research on the adverse and beneficial public health impacts of cannabis legalisation in states in the US.
An overview of the cannabis law reform in Uruguay, including a summary of the success and hurdles during implementation from Non-medical cannabis in North America: an overview of regulatory approaches , Lancione et al The final report from the task force assembled in Canada to inform the government through recommendations to minimise harm through regulation.
Assessing the public health effects of the legalisation of recreational cannabis use , Forum in World Psychiatry Volume 19, Number 2, June A series of articles and commentaries by leading experts relating to the health impacts of legalising cannabis. Monitoring and evaluating changes in cannabis policies: insights from the Americas , European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addiction A technical report that reviews the new cannabis regimes in the Americas and their consequences.
A detailed report that highlights the various policy options available for a regulated framework for cannabis. What can we learn from the Portuguese decriminalization of illicit drugs?
Hughes et al An evidence-based analysis of the criminal justice and health impacts of drug reform in Portugal compared to neighbouring Spain and Italy. An accessible document that provides a clear assessment of the regulatory issues related to cannabis law reform. A report on decriminalisation that provides a clear assessment of current drug policy regimes and on the health costs.
An an assessment of decriminalisation, rather than legalisation, that includes details about the key harms of criminalisation. A report highlighting evidence to support harm reduction through regulation of cannabis for recreational use, focusing on social harms. Count the Costs , Transform Drug Policy A series of reports detailing the impacts of the prohibition of drugs. Both studies followed around people born in the s, one group in Dunedin and one in Christchurch. The website outlines findings related to health and social outcomes from cannabis use.
A report summarising the evidence for how medicinal and recreational use of cannabis impacts health and highlighting knowledge gaps. The health and social effects of nonmedical cannabis use , World Health Organization Building on contributions from a broad range of experts and researchers from around the world, this report summarises the current knowledge on the health impacts of nonmedical cannabis use. A review of evidence on behavioural factors that contribute to adverse health outcomes from cannabis that users can change.
Public health implications of legalising the production and sale of cannabis for medical and recreational use. Hall et al An academic article assessing the current and possible future public health impacts of cannabis legalisation. A comprehensive review of scientific evidence related to the health effects and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis, including the current knowledge gaps and research needs.
We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of our expert panel to this work. Originally earning a PhD in experimental social psychology, Joe held university lectureships in the UK and Australia before coming to New Zealand in His research interests include the psychosocial causes and consequences of substance use, abuse, and dependence; mental health and substance use epidemiology; and the social and psychological determinants of maladaptive behaviour including aggression and violence, among other topics.
His scientific work is strongly geared towards knowledge translation for improved interventions, systems and policy. Benedikt acted as Senior Science Advisor to the Canadian government for the development of its cannabis legalisation framework, and has advised other governments e.
Uruguay on cannabis and health policy issues. He has served in science advisory roles for preeminent institutions e. Benedikt is a frequent and sought-after expert speaker and commentator to academic, media and general public audiences on his topics of expertise.
She previously taught in the sociology and criminology programme at the University of Auckland. She sits on a range of advisory groups and boards for government and community organisations. She currently delivers education and creative writing programmes in prisons. She teaches criminal law, advanced criminal law and youth justice.
She is also a trustee on the New Zealand Drug Foundation. Tamasailau Suaalii-Sauni currently teaches in the criminology programme. She completed both undergraduate and postgraduate university studies at the University of Auckland. Tamasailau was a member of the Superu and VUW central ethics committees. Hinemoa Elder is a Fellow of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and has been a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist since She continues to work clinically as a neuropsychiatrist and youth forensic psychiatrist.
She is an expert in the areas of psychological trauma and cultural psychiatry. Hinemoa has served on several Ministry of Health reference groups. This appointment came after 17 years at the University of Auckland, including six years as the Head of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology. Following her PhD, in which she mapped the then newly discovered cannabinoid CB1 receptor in the human brain, she worked on cannabinoid receptor signalling as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland for five years before returning to New Zealand in to take up a role as a lecturer and researcher within the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Auckland.
She has published over 90 papers on cannabinoids, and numerous book chapters. Her contributions to the field have been acknowledged by an early career award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society in and by election to President of this society in He has been working in the addiction sector for more than 20 years in various clinical and research roles both in Australia and New Zealand. His current research interests include: screening for problematic substance use and assessing the efficacy of brief interventions in different at risk groups; the clinical pharmacology and psychopharmacology of drugs of abuse; and clinical effectiveness of pharmacotherapies used to treat alcohol and drug problems.
Doug Sellman is a psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist. He has also contributed to the development of a highly successful national postgraduate training programme in the area of addiction and co-existing disorders. He has been involved in a broad range of addiction-related research projects with over peer-reviewed publications involving alcohol, cannabis, opioids, nicotine, methamphetamine, gambling and food, primarily from a treatment perspective.
Over the past 15 years this work has turned increasingly towards public health and prevention. He was promoted to a Personal Chair within the University of Otago in , and in was one of the initiators of Alcohol Action NZ, a medically-led advocacy group for alcohol law reform.
His clinical work was in adult addiction services from — and then in youth services from — He is now partially retired and runs a small private practice with a special focus on food addiction and obesity, while continuing research and teaching work at the NAC. Chris has research expertise in drug trends, drug markets, public health, and drug policy. Over the past 20 years he has completed a range of studies of drug use in New Zealand with particular focus on methamphetamine, cannabis, legal highs, ecstasy and the non-medical use of pharmaceuticals.
We also thank Dr Michelle Sullivan for her contribution to this project. Details of meetings with external stakeholders are available here. Legalising cannabis in Aotearoa New Zealand: What does the evidence say? To help people decide how they will vote in the upcoming referendum, we have summarised what we know about the possible impacts of legalising cannabis. What might happen if you vote yes or no? What might happen if you vote Watch: Science and the cannabis referendum This independent documentary by Shirley Horrocks includes commentary from some members of our panel.
Contents Prohibition vs legalisation Frequently asked questions Cannabis law reform: overseas experiences Further reading In the news Our panel.
Frequently asked questions. What are we voting on? A person aged 20 or over would be able to: buy up to 14 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent per day, but only from businesses with a licence to sell cannabis enter licensed premises where cannabis is sold or consumed, but not smoke or vape inside and alcohol and tobacco cannot also be sold there consume cannabis on private property or at a licensed premise, but not in public grow up to two plants, with a maximum of four plants per household, but out of sight or not accessible by the public share up to 14 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent with another person aged 20 or over, but it would be illegal to supply cannabis to anyone under Any cannabis for sale through a licensed vendor would: have been through an approval process that controls the potency strength , quality and contents of the cannabis be an approved product type e.
The referendum is about legalising recreational use of cannabis The vote is for legalisation not decriminalisation — these are different. Decriminalising cannabis means that it is no longer a criminal offence to use cannabis, but a civil penalty may still be applied, such as a fine. In places where cannabis has been decriminalised it remains illegal to grow or sell cannabis and an illegal market is relied on for supplying the drug.
Examples of countries that have decriminalised cannabis include the Netherlands, Portugal and some states in Australia and the United States. Aotearoa New Zealand took a step towards decriminalisation with the alteration to the Misuse of Drugs Act in August which affirms police discretion to take a health-oriented approach rather than prosecuting people who use cannabis. In contrast, legalisation means that the production, supply and use of cannabis are legal in accordance with the specific regulations.
There are different laws for recreational and medicinal use of cannabis. Medicinal cannabis is where cannabis is used as a treatment or medication for people with certain health conditions as prescribed by a doctor. Recreational use of cannabis refers to most other use some of which involves self-medication.
The current referendum is only about recreational use. If recreational cannabis is legalised, cannabis will be legally available without medical advice. Synthetic cannabis is illegal and is not included in the proposed law change. So-called synthetic cannabis contains chemical compounds called synthetic cannabinoids sprayed onto a smokeable plant material e.
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