No, and increase penalties for non-violent drug offenders

Marijuana runs gangs cash flow, so lets cut that cash flow off by making it legal and gaining tax from businesses that will be allowed to sell.

Other than the actual offense of smoking Marijuana it is rare that offenses coming from smoking it. Compared to alcohol which is legal.

It grows naturally like any other plant, and can be consumed in its natural state. It has medicinal benefits, is not as harmful or addictive like vaping, cigarettes, alcohol, prescriptive drugs or takeaway/fast foods and sugar

Strongly disagree. The War on drugs does not work, this has been proven. Decriminalisation and rehabilitation is the answer.

I believe that Marijuana is a necessity health benefits and should be legalized for medical reasons.

Alcohol (and alcoholism) is legal yet is one of the primary causes of substance and domestic abuse, while marijuana reaps far greater benefits to your individual health. Let the people smoke

I don't agree with non-violent drug offenders being penalized at all. Marijuana has health benefits but only if it isn't laced and is a safe product. By legalizing, it allows the government to regulate the production for safety and also allows the government to tax it.

Marijuana is one of the less harmful drugs that are used within our country. It is not only used for recreation but for medical use and I believe it should be more accessible for people.

It doesn't hurt anyone and the tax generated from over the counter sales could be used for drug education.

Marijuana has incredible health benefits for alot of people,
I have MS and use illegal Marijuana products made by a friend every day

I think marijuana should be legal and should not be sent to jail for having a cone unless they are abusing it and not using it safely

The effects of Marijuana compared to Alcohol are greatly different. I believe both are good in moderation but witnessing first hand the consequences of abusing both, I believe Marijuana is the safer.

You can’t regulate an industry if it isn’t legal. Making marijuana legal allows the the government to impose regulations and restrictions to the supply, strength, and quality of marijuana, and also allows them to gain tax revenue from the sale of it, rather than pushing the whole industry underground and putting money in the hands of gangs.

Because every reason for criminalization is actually answered by legalisation. I.e age limits, rehabilitation options, education, quality control and gateway issues are all addressed by legalisation

its a waste of taxpayer money to penalise these people, its more likely to put them into the system and make them violent offenders, it reduces productivity in society.

overrepresentation for petty drug crime is extreme, marijuana has proven health benefits and should be legalised.

Marijuana offenses generally have no victim and therefore be treated as a white collar crime. Marijuana offenses generally have no victim, and any law or punishment should reflect that.

You can’t regulate an industry if it isn’t legal. Making marijuana legal allows the the government to impose regulations and restrictions to the supply, strength, and quality of marijuana, and also allows them to gain tax revenue from the sale of it, rather than pushing the whole industry underground and putting money in the hands of gangs.

Introduces a whole new tax revenue to New Zealand’s economy, decreases crime rate and the risk of tampered drugs. Opens a whole nother field of medicine and avenue for people to stop suffering from ailments which can be treated with Marijuana

Marijuana is not a drug that people get violent on and unless it is making someone hurt others than it shouldnt be a problem

Marijuana can be better regulated when legalised and help can be provided easier to those who need it. Marijuana has plenty of health benefits and this should be expanded on as there are plenty of sick people who want natural medicine. The government should have no control on stopping people from healing themselves.

Marijuana is a plant that grows from the earth and bar the dental issues, there's nothing but pros. However crack and other MAN Made drugs are not natural, there for have no pros and only cons

Marijuana runs gangs cash flow, so lets cut that cash flow off by making it legal and gaining tax from businesses that will be allowed to sell.

There are bigger criminals out there then people who are non violent drug offenders. Put more resources into stopping the people who are making our country worse.

Increase rehabilitation, mental health, training and addiction services. Drug use and abuse is a health issue.

I don't think marijuana should be illegal and changing this might make a difference with the impact other drugs have on people.

no because of prisons are over populated marijuana should be legal and if they are non-violent i don’t see them as a threat for something that is legal medically

The decriminalisation and legalisation would not only provide new tax streams to the government but reduce the prison population and lessen the stigma around marijuna use

Increasing penalties around non-violent drug offenders is not attacking the real problem which is WHY does a large majority of NZ turn to drug use?

If we put tax on it we can make money on it, and everyone is gonna smoke it regardless if it’s legal or not so we may as-well profit

Marijuana is not a gateway drug, is safer than both alcohol and nicotine, and it is an important source of tax revenue, if regulated.

I don't agree with non-violent drug offenders being penalized at all. Marijuana has health benefits but only if it isn't laced and is a safe product. By legalizing, it allows the government to regulate the production for safety and also allows the government to tax it

Alcohol causes more harm than marijuana. Addiction is a health issue therefore should not be punishing people with prison. Money is better spent on health services.

Yes! It is a safer alternative to alcohol which is responsible for most violent offenders. We should be trying to reduce the harm caused by alcohol rather than waste more time on people who harm noone (including themselves).

I disagree because people that carry, smoke and sell marijuana for the most part are not harming or affecting themselves or others, at least not in direct result from the marijuana.

Effectiveness of the War on Drugs: Worldwide, the War on Drugs has largely been seen as ineffective, costly, and even counter-productive. Despite strict laws and punitive measures, drug use has not been eradicated. In many cases, these approaches have led to increased crime, violent confrontations between law enforcement and drug traffickers, and overwhelmed penal systems.

Economic Benefits: Legalizing marijuana provides an opportunity for regulation and taxation. This could potentially result in a significant boost to New Zealand's economy through the generation of tax revenues and…  Read more creation of new job opportunities in the legal marijuana industry.

These is no evidence this would be effective. Our current strategy is not working. All the evidence suggests that health based approach are far more successful that punitive ones.

There are other issues effecting the country that are larger and more harmful to society than Marijuana. Violent offenders and growing rates of poverty not a plant that can be used as medicine and doesn't cause violent behaviour in anyway that Alcohol does.

If we increase penalties for non-violent marijuana offenders, who benefits from this? Marijuana is not a dangerous drug, and although there are some negative effects for some users, the vast majority of people who use marijuana are normal, law abiding new zealanders who just like to get stoned sometimes. It's less of a social issue than alcohol, which we happily accept as being a part of our culture. Enforcing penalties are a waste of tax payer money and law enforcement resource. It unnecessarily punishes people who are otherwise productive, happy, and safe citizens.,

The cost associated with harsher penalties do not stack up when you consider how those resources could be better allocated.

It empirically doesn’t work. You just get crowded prisons with people who want nothing more than others who just want to have a beer.

Comparative to alcohol, marijuana is a much less harmful drug despite it being illegal. People are always going take drugs in some form or another, if the safety and origin of them can be regulated it would be beneficial to society as well as highly profitable.

Māori would be disproportionately affected by this. Drug offenders need support and care, not penalising.

There is no reason to increase penalties for drugs they should not be illegal in the first place, they are archaic laws.

The war on drugs is not working and drug use is increasing every year. Drugs needs to be regulated by the government so that teenagers and adults know what they're buying, know what dosage they purchasing, and know how to take drugs safely. We need to stop funding gangs and criminal organisations by continuing to make drugs illegal. Gangs and criminal organisations continue to sell synthetic drugs and methamphetamine as MDMA, ecstasy, ketamine and cocaine, which inadvertently gets teenagers addicted or causes adverse medical and mental health issues.

The legalisation of marijuana would lessen institutionalized racism against demographics that are more targeted to marijuana convictions. As well as this, medicinal uses for marijuana would benefit many people suffering illnesses.

My basic view is you are welcome to have that view so long as you also think the same should be done for alcohol. Which stastically has been shown to be far more harmful than Marijuana. If you think thats unfair, then you stance of Marijuana is not actually grounded in the facts of what the substance does. When people get drunk they want to start a fight, when they're high they want to start a band.

I disagree because people in posetion of marijuana have familys and bills to pay, they arent harming anybody emoitonally or physically and shouldnt be charged period.

It disproportionately punishing maori and lower socioeconomic individuals. Globally and historically, when has harsher punishments been a net benefit for a community or society? Marijuana has no direct harm to wider communities so is not even an action that should be punished.

It is a waste of money and resources and marijuana is less damaging than alcohol and has more benifits

Legalising cannabis will make the country more money. It works wonders in the medical field. People need to be properly educated about it. It’s a lot safer then alcohol

If people are in posetion of weed and are going to use if for an enjoyable time and know the consequencies of it then they should not be penalised

I do not belive that penalty increases on non violent drug offending pertaining to marijuana will help the situation at all. We see several things here, generally those selling are doing it to help those that are ill, to make money due to the difficulties of their on financial situation, or have been forced into it/do it because of gang involvement. Generally people who use it from the black market are using it for mental health, recreation or general illness. I see two main contributing factors and many smaller ones. The first major factor is that we have not got measures in place to suffici…  Read moreently limit gangs to prevent the sale on the black market. Gang crime is up and until that is dealt with it will continue to get worse. The other issue is the severe over pricing of material for those who need it for health/mental health reasons. @600 and oz on average vs street price of 300-350 its not hard to see the issue here. More needs to be done on education, study and the effects before legalization with a fair tax system. It should be treated as something that could help rather than a problem. As it being a "problem" is all based on the old war against drugs rhetoric that is out dated and proven to be wrong. We see less issues with Alcohol which, even as someone who enjoys a drink is far worse. Simply put, with the issues we know about, it would make more sense to legalize marijuana and ban alcohol. People should not be punished for doing anything to themselves along as it does not impact others, or strain healthcare in the country. Selling it more needs to be done to understand why.

People are going to grow and sell Marijuana regardless of the law, may as well legalize it and regulate it so people aren't getting laced stuff from dodgy tiny houses. I don't agree with increasing penalties, instead we should be legalizing it and coming up with ways to work it in to society.

Alcohol is much more dangerous and harmful substance yet it is legal. The government can earn so much more money through taxation of legalised marijuana and people will be less at risk of something pretty much all kiwis have already tried once.

I think non violent should definitely be considered when Charging the offense as they are most likely have no intention of causing harm ither then stimulating their mind by smoking weed..

Countries with legalised marijuana have seen no negative effects and policing it is a waste of time and money

How is that helping people? its creating a viscous cycle instead of empowering people to make their own choices of growth.

This would be pointless as the corrections system would risk turning non-violent offenders into hardened criminals in prison, for drug offences involving a drug that is proven to have health benefits and is not harmful - especially when regulated

Making it legal will take away a lot of the power of gangs, and make it safer for those who wish to use it. Better education around its use and alcohol use would be better

Usage of marijuana should not be a criminal offence. The legalisation would provide business opportunities and safer use for those already getting it illegally

That it’s crack and marijuana is a natural plant and should be at least decriminalised if not completely legalised for 21+ years

Personal choices that do not directly affect others should be made by the person themselves, anything else will prevent that person from developing the ability to make responsible decisions (1), and will tend to make them more dependent on others (2). The larger, consequential, issue being that such people may not learn to think, dream, and plan for themselves (3), they just rely on the government (or other "authorities") to plot their life's path for them.

We have a country/culture in which we, more than others, allow the general culture to make decisions for us - if we don�…  Read more39;t like things we whine, but don't take responsibility for changing things ourselves. This is, I think, one of the reasons we have such weak understanding of societal issues lately (pay equality, race issues) - we don't try to learn for ourselves, we just follow along.

Looking at international examples where Marijuana has been legalised, what evidence is there that the status quo is any worse than legalised, decriminalised low-level drug offending

Looking at international examples where Marijuana has been legalised, what evidence is there that the status quo is any worse than legalised, decriminalised low-level drug offending

Look at all the documented social problems that come with alcohol but this is a legal and encouraged drug.

Silly there's worst put there then Marijuana. P is the demon do something about that legalise Marijuana

It has not helped ever, anywhere at all. Most of the laws are from big money Alchaol and tobacco lobbies both are provable.

If some thing helps you be able to eat an sleep after chemo wouldn't you take it? Because most people took a covid jab without even knowing the effects of that

It has been shown conclusively in countries such as Portugal, the decriminalising drugs is the most effective solution.

Current penalties have zero effect. Drug addiction needs help, not penalties. Cost of current police time and penalties can be redirected.

There are more pressing issues, and criminalising the small offenders only makes the issue worse. It is focussing on the wrong issues within a much larger issue.

I think Marijuana should be treated like drinking alcohol. Do it somewhere safely and do not drive until you feel safe enough to do.

Less harmful than alcohol. Great way to increase tax revenue, take away from gang income and free up police resources. Just legalize it already.

Drugs and Drug abuse are no different from alcohol and alcohol abuse. In terms of harm, Marijuana does far less harm to the user and community of the user compared to alcohol. It should be regulated as is alcohol yet with stricter measures to ensure we don't have big businesses trying to profit off our addictions further setting our communities back.

I believe marijuana should be legalised as it has many health benefits, The legalisation of weed has worked for other countries. On top of this, if weed were to be legalised and sold in shops with a licence to sell, it could bring money through taxes on sale as well as yearly charges for the appropriate licencing. This would not only benefit the population's depression and anxiety rate it would also help to slowly deplete our country's debt

There has never been one instance of the war on drugs actually working and not just putting more money in to the hands of criminals and more pressure on police. Marijuana is less addictive and harmful than alcohol for people over the age of 21 and I believe people should have the freedom to do whatever they want with their body.

I don't agree with non-violent drug offenders being penalized at all. Marijuana has health benefits but only if it isn't laced and is a safe product. By legalizing, it allows the government to regulate the production for safety and also allows the government to tax it.

This is a waste of tax payers money to keep checks on them and if they aren’t hurting anyone then they should be free to do what they want

Maori are disproportionately represented and therefore are the ones going to be hit hardest. We need to take a preventative approach and invest in community and social programs.

Because every reason for criminalization is actually answered by legalisation. I.e age limits, rehabilitation options, education, quality control and gateway issues are all addressed by legalisation.

The criminal justice system has systemic inequities that discriminate against Maori and other ethnic groups, making the general system unfair.

It should be legal it's organic from God in book of Genesis in bible that should be orally taken not smoked like herbal medicine

I get drug tested working for my money, so if your getting a hand out you should absolutely get drug tested.

We still don't know the effects of Marijuana on hunan bodies on a massive a global scale. However, it seems very safe.

Drug enforcement wastes silly amounts of money, so do prisons for non-violent offenders.

Prisons turn drug addicts to criminals.

No evidence suggests that works. It’s better to introduce a tax on users and take away profits away from black market operations. Personally I don’t smoke but it seems relatively harmless. We have bigger issues to solve

Marijuana should be regulated but made legal. It has too many health benifits to ignore. Legalising it will diminish the black market financing and allow govt to have another tax income without it affecting the people much.

It's widely used and is beneficial, comparatively smoking is legal and does nothing but harm. Marijuana is not harmful but the current distribution while is illegal is harmful. Strip gangs of a lot of their power and make marijuana safer.

Marijuana is much less impactful (negatively) than alcohol and it is hypocritical to treat it as otherwise. Cannabis is being used overseas for so many medical reasons and for people to be put in prison for using is a waste of our resources

All though Marijuana Is sometimes abused can can cause issues in families and social settings there are many positives from the plant in the medical field. If regulated and taxed it means we can control certain aspects of the substance whole collecting a form of revenue

Marijuana has been legalised in places all around the world. It has health benefits that people are missing out on due to the criminal intentions it has in Aotearoa. It is backwards thinking for it to carry on how it is. Māori are also over represented in charges for cannabis, identifying racist stereotypes in the legal system.

Marijuana has been legalised in places all around the world. It has health benefits that people are missing out on due to the criminal intentions it has in Aotearoa. It is backwards thinking for it to carry on how it is. Māori are also over represented in charges for cannabis, identifying racist stereotypes in the legal system.

Some people use drugs to cope with life problems such as financial, instability, mental or physical illness. Not everyone who does drugs deserves to be punished some just need help.

Alcohol causes much more strain on health systems than Marijuana, and that is perfectly legal. It’s on of the least deadly drugs available.