All New Zealanders voting in the general election this year will also be asked a yes or no question on your support of cannabis legalisation.
The Govt Referendum 2020 page provides information to help people make a choice here.
The Cancer Society believes it is up to individuals to make their own decision on the referendum. All New Zealanders will have a personal view on whether to legalise this widely-used recreational product or not.
When making your decision on which way to vote please note:
The Bill does not relate to medicinal cannabis. Medicinal cannabis is legal and a small number of medical-grade products can be prescribed and can be grown for medicinal purposes by palliative patients. Some people with cancer will continue to use recreational cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Photo by Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash
[1] From a public health perspective, it's too early to say if the overall benefits of legalising cannabis will outweigh the harms. But clear indications are that it will improve justice and social inequities for Maori in particular