INQUIRY INTO THE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF CANNABIS

NORML welcomes recommendation to review the law and demands an immediate moratorium on arresting cannabis users and legislative change from the Government.

The National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws today welcomed the report of Parliament’s Health Select Committee that has recommended "the Government review the appropriateness of existing policy on cannabis and its use and reconsider the legal status of cannabis."

"On behalf of taxpayers and cannabis users, we call upon the Minister of Police to tell his troops to stop arresting responsible cannabis users, and let them concentrate on real crime. We have the second highest drug arrest rate in the world - a cannabis bust every 35 minutes - and that’s something the Government and the police force should be ashamed of."

"We sincerely hope the Government will heed the recommendations of the Inquiry, which we note is the first held here since 1973. We’ve had sixty years of prohibition, and all it’s done is cause more problems than it’s solved. If they do not take action on these matters, including reviewing the legal status of cannabis, then it will reveal that they really do not care about the health and well-being of New Zealanders.

"We need legislative change in order to fully address the problems raised by the report. It is only through an environment of tolerance and compassion, rather than persecution and punishment, that we can help people who experience problems related to their drug use.

"NORML recommends allowing cannabis users to grow their own plants, and the development of a legally-comtrolled and regulated market for cannabis products, similar to the Dutch-style cannabis cafes. After twenty years of tolerance, drug use in the Netherlands is now amongst the lowest in the world, and their health professionals are much better placed to deal with any problems that do arise.

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"It should be noted the committee’s recommendations were almost all related to improving education, research and treatment services. The only recommendation relating to the criminal status of cannabis is that that should be reviewed. NORML has been lobbying for such a review for decades, and we would be only too pleased to help the Government formulate a new approach to cannabis use in New Zealand.

"This Inquiry heard that many of the harms often associated with cannabis use are actually created by its prohibition, while the actual harms presented by cannabis have been exaggerated" he said.

"The justification for arresting cannabis users is simply not valid. We need to stop punishing all cannabis users, help those who have problems, and leave the rest alone.

"The Health Committee are saying cannabis should be a health issue, not a criminal law enforcement issue. This is something NORML has been saying for years, and we recommended that to the Inquiry, as did numerous other groups such as the Ministry of Health and the NZ Drug Foundation.

"Prohibition only serves to divert police from real crime, creates additional crime and violence, and drives cannabis use underground and away from health professionals. Cannabis prohibition has not stopped anyone from using cannabis, but it has created unnecessary harm." said Chris Fowlie

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR ADDITIONAL COMMENT:

NORML spokesperson Chris Fowlie 09 302-5255

Health Committee Chair Brian Neeson 04 471-9999

Health Committee Clerk David Wilson 04 471-9524

NORML NZ

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