The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020. It was held in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum, on the question of whether to legalise the sale, use, possession and production of cannabis. Possession of any amount of cannabis is currently illegal in New Zealand. The official results were released on 6 November 2020 with 50. 7% of voters opposing legalisation and 48. 4% in support out of all votes cast.
About 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum in brief
The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020. It was held in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum, on the question of whether to legalise the sale, use, possession and production of cannabis. Possession of any amount of cannabis is currently illegal in New Zealand. The Green Party secured a commitment to hold a referendum after the 2017 election as part of its confidence and supply agreement with Labour. The official results were released on 6 November 2020 with 50. 7% of voters opposing legalisation and 48. 4% in support out of all votes cast. The results of the cannabis referendum would not have affected the legal status of medicinal cannabis and hemp production, both of which are already legal. They would also not have affect laws regarding driving under the influence of drugs including cannabis, which remains illegal, or workplace health and safety issues. Cannabis has been illegal inNew Zealand since 1927. Historically, neither of the two biggest political parties, Labour or National, have been willing to decriminalise or legalise cannabis. If legalised, the cannabis industry could employ about 5000 people and allow the government to regulate and tax the sale and distribution. Each year, the Police spend over 330,000 hours on cannabis enforcement which costs the taxpayer almost USD 200 million. Legalisation would free up Police to focus on more serious drug crimes. At the moment, there is a significant underground market for cannabis and prohibition disproportionately criminalizes Māori. 79% of Māoris supported the Bill, and it would have addressed some of these harms, by enabling Makere participation in a regulated legal market, and providing for Māore representation on the body charged with developing national cannabis policy.
The bill would still have had to pass a vote in parliament if the referendum returned a \”yes\” result. The New Zealand Drug Foundation says that 80% of New Zealanders have tried cannabis by age 21, but only 10% of the population become heavy users. Kiwis consume around 74 tonnes of cannabis a year, so clearly, the current law doesn’t stop people using it. Cannabis smoke irritates the lungs, and people who smoke it frequently can have the similar breathing problems to those who smoke tobacco. A succession of clinical studies have found it increases the risk of chronic bronchitis, chronic bronchiitis, throat, throat and impaired immune function. Cannabis does not cause schizophrenia or psychosis, but interacts with pre-existing genetic factors to lead to early schizophrenia and early psychosis. It is more likely to increase risk of more frequent lung infections, frequent lung illnesses, and a higher risk of frequent lung illness. It can lead to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and anxiety. It has not been shown to cause lung cancer, although better-quality studies found that cannabis contributes to depression, although it has been found to cause cancer. If it was legalised the annual tax intake from cannabis would be more than USD 1 billion. This could be put into health schools, schools, education and other infrastructure programmes that will benefit all New Zealander.
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This page is based on the article 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 29, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
