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black-market for criminals and ensuring the taxpayer will continue to waste $400 million annually on enforcement of an outdated law," Wilkinson said.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

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