Cannabis referendum: Researchers say ambition to reduce use will be difficult to achievePosted by MMP News AuthorOn October 10, 2020

On October 17, New Zealand will be asked to decide whether the recreational use of cannabis should be legal.

The proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill includes confining use to private homes and licensed premises, conditions for personal growing, a minimum purchase age of 20, requirements for public health messaging, licensing the supply chain and restricting marketing and advertising.

But transitioning from a black market to legal market won’t be easy, academics warn.

Massey University researchers Marta Rychert and Chris Wilkins say the bill’s ambition to reduce cannabis use via a commercial market will be difficult to achieve.

READ MORE:
* Cannabis referendum: What it means for business and the New Zealand economy
* Reforming cannabis laws is a complex challenge, but New Zealand’s history of drug reform holds important lessons

Many areas remain murky, such as…