Legalizing marijuana would protect public health and raise tax revenue, according to a report released by the New Zealand Drug Policy Forum Trust. Responding to the report, a spokesman for the Parliament’s health select committee announced that the government will hold an inquiry into the effects and legal status of the drug.
The NZDPFT report states that “New Zealand politicians [must] … take control of cannabis commerce.” It recommends the government to establish a “Tobacco, Alcohol, and Cannabis Authority” to develop and enforce “regulations concerning the production, distribution, sale, and use of these three substances.” Regulations would include age and point-of-sale restrictions, and providing legal penalties for “specified forms of misbehavior caused by deliberate taking of a drug.” Cultivation of marijuana for personal use and non-profit distribution of the drug would not fall under the commission’s authority.
“New Zealand must learn to live with cannabis,” the report concludes. “Cannabis has clearly become a part of our culture. It’s responsible use by adults should therefore be normalized.”
The policy paper also highlights the role of the United States in opposing drug reform efforts in other nations. “A related hurdle to reforming New Zealand’s cannabis policies will come in the form of resistance from the United States,” the NZDPFT states. “Whether present day politicians can withstand such pressure on [this] issue … remains to be seen, but by anticipating and preparing for [it] the chances are good that we will be ‘permitted’ to opt out of U.S.-inspired cannabis policies.” The report cites a 1996 meeting between the DEA and the Australian government where U.S. officials warned the country not to “make any radical break with the past or with our allies” on marijuana policy.
The Drug Policy Forum Trust is composed of several highly respected scientists and health care professionals.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. A copy of the report is available online at: http://www.nzdf.org.nz/1998.htm.
