Indopedia All Things Marijuana
A coalition of two political parties in New Zealand has come together on a referendum that could legalize marijuana in the Asia Pacific nation.
Jacinda Ardern is New Zealand’s incoming Prime Minister. Today, her Labour Party officially agreed with a recent proposal from the Green Party to hold a referendum which, depending on the outcome, could legalize cannabis for personal use.
“We agreed that what we are doing now simply isn’t working,” said Prime Minister-Designate today. “We have said yes to having that referendum.”
The vote on legal cannabis for adults in New Zealand is expected to happen by the 2020 general election.
In late 2016, New Zealand’s Minister of Justice revealed that arrest rates for marijuana possession fell by roughly 60 percent over a six-year period. This decrease was largely the result of a police-diversion program set up for low-level marijuana offenses.
In June 2017, Health Minister Peter Dunne announced that restrictions on CBD had been removed. This effectively gave New Zealand doctors permission to prescribe the medicine for whatever condition they felt was appropriate. Also, in June, a private member’s bill for medical…
