Cait Kelly Reporter
In addition to deciding the fate of their political representatives on Saturday, New Zealanders also cast their votes on the burning issue of cannabis legalisation.
While the results of that referendum won’t be known until October 30, it has already sparked conversation across the ditch, with both pro- and anti-cannabis law reform campaigners in Australia watching closely.
New Zealand’s cannabis referendum has been on the cards since 2017, when Jacinda Ardern won the support of the country’s Green Party by agreeing to put cannabis law reform to a national poll…
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In Victoria, Reason Party leader Fiona Patten is currently chairing a parliamentary inquiry into cannabis use in the state.
“We are considering how you manage cannabis use in the most effective way,” Ms Patten said.
New Zealand is simply “following the trend happening across the world”, she told The New Daily.
The whole of the Pacific coast of America from Canada to Mexico have legalised and regulated cannabis,” Ms Patten said.
“Now we are seeing one of our closest Pacific neighbours follow.”
Australians under the age of 30 are “twice as likely to use cannabis than tobacco”, Ms Patten said.
“This isn’t about whether cannabis should be available … this is about how governments can regulate it and keep it out of the hands of criminals and children,” she said…
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Read the full article on The New Daily’s website.
