Report shows New Zealand MPs should back cannabis regulation

Silverpeak Apothecary cannabis dispensary located in Aspen, Colorado, run by local businessman Jordan Lewis.

New Zealand MPs Should Back Cannabis Regulation, New Report Shows it’s Working Fine in Colorado

A new report on Colorado, which became the first jurisdiction in the world to legalise cannabis in 2012, demonstrates the benefits of ending the criminalisation of users, and putting government in control of the trade. 

Despite dire predictions, early evidence analysed by Transform Drug Policy Foundation shows that legalisation in Colorado has had the following outcomes:

• No spike in cannabis use among young people
• No increase in road fatalities
• Significant reduction in the size of the criminal market, as the state now controls 60% of supply
• A $125 million predicted tax take for 2015, with $40 million allocated for school building programmes
• Thousands no longer receiving criminal records
• Regulatory system able to adapt quickly to emerging concerns about cannabis edibles
• Public support for legal regulation remains strong

The emerging evidence from Colorado shows that the doom-mongers were wrong. Use hasn’t skyrocketed and the roads are not filled with drivers under the influence. Instead, it has led to more control, more revenue, less unnecessary crime, less money for organised criminals, and more efficient use of public money.

Young people are better protected – people have to show ID to buy cannabis now, and without the fear of arrest, are more likely to seek help if they need it.  Polling shows that a majority in NZ support decriminalisation or legal regulation of cannabis across the political spectrum.

We call on the New Zealand government to legalise and regulate cannabis, to put the government in control, to protect young people, reduce crime, improve health and save money.