Have you thought about what you do or don’t support for the upcoming referendum on legalising cannabis?

Along with the General Election and also another referendum on end-of-life choices, there’s a whole lot to think about on Saturday 19 September, and it’s important to be in the know before ticking Yes or No in the ballot box.

Being informed is not always simple when there is so much information to wade through on seriously complex issues, and this is made more confusing when we’re being heavily campaigned by strident lobby groups with their own agendas.

How to get informed and make your own choice

Thinkstraight have put together a few resources in regards to the proposed Cannabis Legislation and Control Bill. You can read about the proposed bill here.

The Bill

Briefly, the bill will control and regulate cannabis by legalising certain consumption, supply and production of cannabis. In doing this, the government says its aim is to reduce cannabis-related harm in the community.

The Yes vote

The debate for supporting the Cannabis Legislation and Control Bill is put across by the Drug Foundation in their On Our Terms campaign. The Foundation argues that legalising cannabis – which will generate taxes – will enable better revenue for drug education and free up Police time to attend serious crime. They also argue that a legal product will be easier to control in terms of potency and will be easier to restrict sales.

The No vote

The argument against supporting the cannabis legislation is put forward by the lobby group Say Nope to Dope, which says cannabis is addictive and harmful on many levels and that legalising it may be a way that the tobacco industry might try and gain control over the market.

Addiction experts’ view

From the addiction experts, there are a range of opinions and research presented in the latest DAPAANZ magazine. (DAPAANZ is the Drug and Alcohol Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa – New Zealand.) Check out the balanced summary by Professor Wayne Hall (Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, University of Queensland) on page 11.

Don’t forget to have your say on this important piece of legislation that will potentially change many aspects of New Zealand lives. If you’re not enrolled, it’s not too late: you can do that here.