Government regime discriminates against natural Cannabis
It is absurd that the Government is prepared to allow the regulation and sale of synthetic cannabis products while at
the same time natural cannabis will remain prohibited.
"Shouldn't natural cannabis be subjected to the same rigourous testing regime as synthetic cannabis, to determine once
and for all whether it is safe for adults?" Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party spokesman Steven Wilkinson said.
"Peter Dunne's new Psychoactive Substances Bill has been drafted in response to the Law Commission's review of the
Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 but by exempting already banned substances from the testing regime, the same prohibitionist
mistakes of the 1975 Act will continue in this Bill."
The Law Commission's recommendation that the police issue three warnings before anyone is arrested for personal
possession of cannabis has been ignored by the Government.
The Law Commission's recommendation that social dealing of small amounts of cannabis not be prosecuted has also been
ignored by the Government.
The Law Commission's recommendation that possession of utensils to improve the safety of using cannabis be made legal,
has also been ignored by the Government
The Law Commission's recommendation that clinical trials of medical marijuana be initiated has also been dismissed by
the Government.
"By systematically ignoring the Law Commission's recommendations regarding natural cannabis, Dunne is maintaining the
black-market for criminals and ensuring the taxpayer will continue to waste $400 million annually on enforcement of an
outdated law," Wilkinson said.
"Drug testing regimes for beneficiaries and workers will force many New Zealanders to switch to using synthetic cannabis
products which are legally available and undetected by drug tests."
"The ALCP believes that natural cannabis will always be safer to use than synthetic cannabis and as a result the
Government's current drug policy will increase harm to the community."
ENDS