Press Release – Joint Press Release More than 25 health and social service organisations, charities and prominent individuals are today calling on the Government to urgently overhaul the Misuse of Drugs Act and treat all drug usage as a health issue. The open letter , signed by a broad range …
More than 25 health and social service organisations, charities and prominent individuals are today calling on the Government to urgently overhaul the Misuse of Drugs Act and treat all drug usage as a health issue.
The open letter, signed by a broad range of organisations including the New Zealand Medical Association, Public Health Association, Auckland and Wellington City Missions, Mental Health Foundation, JustSpeak, Hāpai te Hauora and the Māori Law Society, urges the government to update drug laws to ensure the wellbeing of all our communities.
Health Minister Andrew Little has shot down calls for a swift overhaul of drug laws, saying any major change would first have to go back to a referendum.
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In the cannabis referendum, voters were asked whether they supported the proposed cannabis legislation and control bill which included legalising recreational use of the drug.
The bill failed by a slim margin with 48.4 percent voting in support and 50.7 not. The letter explains the referendum brought to head a long overdue public conversation about drugs and the close results hide the consensus among the majority of those who voted: That the status quo is causing harm and we need to improve our current approach to drug law.
Sawicki Mead says support for changing the Misuse of Drugs Act comes from both sides of the cannabis debate.