New Zealand’s Cannabis Referendum Follows Canada’s Lead
New Zealand’s Cannabis Referendum Follows Canada’s Lead
Government Releases What the People Will Vote On – LPC
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently released more information about New Zealand’s cannabis referendum. The complete details of its Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill will allow for adults 20 years and older to “participate in regulated use and sales”. It also provides several protectionist efforts to “reduce cannabis-related harm to individuals, families/whānau and communities”.
The details of New Zealand’s cannabis referendum bill also show what an influence the Canadian experience has had. Similarities include:
- Allowing growing plants at home: two per person to a max of four in one household
- Phased-in sales: only dried cannabis, plants, and the seed will be for sale with no timetable for cannabis edibles or other products
- Growers can’t sell their own product direct to the consumer
- Limiting percentage of the retail market any one person can have
The bill will also favor micro cultivators and microprocessors, something that Canada tried in theory with its specialized licenses. However, some argue that this effort was undermined when Health Canada changed to a build-first policy for license applications. Canadian cannabis co-ops exist but aren’t flourishing as hoped.
Plans for cannabis legalization in New Zealand were first announced last year. The country’s medical cannabis industry was legalized on April 1, 2020. New Zealand’s cannabis referendum will take place on September 19, 2020. Currently, only two countries have legalized cannabis at the federal level.
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