Support for cannabis law reform still high
Support for cannabis law reform still
high
Public support still remains high for moving away
from destructive policies that criminalise cannabis users,
says the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws (NORML).
Spokesperson Chris Fowlie said a poll
released by the New Zealand Drug Foundation asked the wrong
question, and could not be compared to earlier polls, as the
DominionPost had erroneously done today.
"The
latest poll asked whether cannabis laws should be made
'tougher' or 'more liberal', but previous polls had asked
whether people wanted continued prohibition,
decriminalisation or legalisation. If you change the
question, of course you will change the result. That's a
no-brainer," said Mr Fowlie.
"A previous poll by
UMR, in 2000, found sixty per cent supported either
decriminalisation or legalisation. This was described at the
time by the Dominion as showing that supporting the existing
law was 'not a vote winner'.
"If they had asked
the same question we think they would find there remains
strong support for cannabis law reform. There is very little
public appetite for arresting and jailing responsible adults
who use cannabis in the privacy of their own home, yet that
is the daily reality of the existing cannabis
laws.
"Many people want access to cannabis made
tougher, but prohibition merely provides an illusion of
toughness. Behind the facade it is very easy for minors to
access cannabis whenever they want. Age ID is not requested,
and buyers are often put in contact with other
drugs.
"If we seriously want tougher cannabis laws,
the best way to do that is to regulate and licence it's
sale, including strict enforcement of a purchase
age."
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