Yes

It is possible and preferable to live a normal balanced life without the need for manufactured stimulents...

Using Marijuana will lead to harder drug use, this is simply not true.
Marijuana causes less problems medically and socially than alcohol does.
Legalising means the sale of Marijuana could be controlled cutting out the criminal element and receiving tax from the sale.

Marijuana is widely used in New Zealand creating huge underground financial gains. If it was made legal, support programs would be more acceptable helping many New Zealanders if addiction became an issue. The tax stream would also be a great thing.

I think it’s crazy how someone can be sent to jail for having a joint but there’s rapeist that get home detention

It is used by many people and legalizing it would not increase the number dramatically, legalizing it would only move the sale out of the gangs hands and into regulated sales.

Less underage drug abuse, safer handling, reduce illegal and unsafe trade from sellers who want to upsell customers to more harmful drugs.

Marijuana has many health care properties and I agree that this should be available for medical use only.

It has been used as medicine for years and if the people who were in prison for minor drug charges relating to marijuana got released there would be more resources for violent criminals

It is already used by many people and legalizing it would not increase the number dramatically, legalizing it would only move the sale out of the gangs hands and into regulated sales. Also, legalisation means only people over the legal age can buy it, rather than anyone being able to buy bad quality product through dangerous gangs.

Marijuana is a low risk drug that should be legalised to decrease crime and improve safe drug habits, and due to racism in the police industry, Māori and Pacifica communities are targeted so by legalising cannabis it would decrease this discrimination.

Their are many health benefits for people who are terminal or sick, reduces pain and increases their well being.

Has been rolled out as a medical prescription drug. Shoukd not be a criminal offence any longer. Research evidence us positive in favour of marijuana.

Marijuana is widely used in New Zealand creating huge underground financial gains. If it was made legal, support programs would be more acceptable helping many New Zealanders if addiction became an issue. The tax stream would also be a great thing.

Marijuana is a natural drug, yes when misused can cause harm to an individual but if there was a way for the government to control the potency and quality of the product which would be the case if it were to be legalised we would not only encourage the use of 'safe' drugs and would also decrease the chance of it being laced with something such as fentanyl, this is also something that can be applied to all recreational drugs, if we were able to know what we are taking without the stigma, Users would be safer.

Other countries with legal access to weed are not experiencing drug-induced societal breakdown. We waste police resources on petty drug crime. Marijuana is not a major societal ill. It doesn't cause violent or anti social behaviour. We tolerate drugs like alcohol, which do. Harsh penalties actively marginalise individuals - a drug conviction impedes someone's ability to be a productive, tax paying member of society.

It grows from the ground and makes you happy and relaxed. And it's NATURAL. Unlike crack and other MAN Made drugs

Stop wasting resources and let so many users be free as well as the health benefits etc make it R18 and make sure there is education around substance abuse and budgeting etc

Daily smokers that are currently in the work force are at risk of losing there job, yet alcoholics can go home and get intoxicated every night with little to no worries.

It doesn't harm anyone its a natural medicine and can be used for so many purposes. Its a waste of time for police or police resources and taking up space in our prisons.

Drop in Crime Rates: In the U.S., states that have legalized marijuana, like Colorado, saw a drop in violent crimes. According to the Colorado Department of Public Safety, arrests in Colorado for marijuana dropped by 52% between 2012 and 2017.

Economic Windfall: In 2019, Colorado reported over $1 billion in total state revenue from the legalized cannabis industry since its inception.

Regulated Market Success: In Canada, where recreational cannabis was legalized in 2018, by 2020 the legal market had already outpaced the illicit market. This shift supports consumer safety arguments and show…  Read mores the potential economic gains of a regulated market.

Marijuana has more of a positive effect on most than negative, it has helped people with health problems, so i think that marijuana should be legal for over 18.

Purchasing age requirements would need to be in place re psychosis particularly first presentation in young people

Overseas countries where marijuana has been legalised has had hugely positive outcomes, for income to the country, freedom of choice for people to treat themselves for health issues and as a motive for tourists to visit.

It was a borderline vote. A rapid alteration to NZ Law cld have given freedom to those in prison for marijuana offences giving space in courts and prisons for serious offending.

Use or marijuana has not declined despite criminalistation. Prisons don;t act as a deterent. Education is the way forward. P rotect our children from access, Freedom of choice for adults.

What about the lack of medicines available for people with life long conditions that Marijuana and Marijuana based products can have a massive help with quality of life

Anyone of age should be able to , which will stop under the table deals and for it to be more accepted because again it’s a literal plant.

it is less harmful than currently legal substances you can buy or even produce in your own home (alcohol), alcohol causes a lot of negative affects in communities in our country rich and poor and we should have a safer alternative, at this point it is ingrained within our culture and it should not be used as an excuse for revenue gathering by our justice system. especially as this is typically used by people in a lower class of economic background mainly due to accessibility and poor people should not prosecuted due to this, as typically the difference between getting a charge for possession of pot is if you can afford an expensive lawyer or not. That is not justice, that is oppression.

According to a simple quick google search on crime rates between New Zealand and Amsterdam. New Zealand crime index is 43.03 where as Amsterdam has a crime rate of 29.59. There's obviously still drug crimes over in Amsterdam but it's nothing compared to NZ. You'd be silly not to think it's because of the legalization of marijuana and other soft drugs.

Mid 2017 there was a spike in use of synthetic cannabis, there were reports of people facing intense short term harm and even death. As of 2019 although the harm has slowed down it has not been eradicated and the potential for another crisis is at large.

Like alcohol, legalised marijuana would allow for safe, regulated production of the plant for consumption, both for recreational and medicinal purposes.

In parts of the world where alcohol is illegal, it results in the production of dangerously potent alcohol, because it isn’t regulated. This is not unlike places like New Zealand where marijuana being illegal means that dangerously unregulated strains of the drug are circulating and causing harm to its users.

same as above. Marijuana doesn't cause any more drastic side effects than alcohol but that is legal. It can even be considered safer than alcohol in some ways. By making it legal, you also have an opportunity to have safe products on the market and the government can tax it.

Basing my response on the Scandinavian response, which should be followed by everyone in my opinion,

1. Public Health and Harm Reduction:

Scandinavian countries, like Denmark and Norway, have taken a harm reduction approach to drug policy, including marijuana.
They prioritize public health and view drug addiction as a medical issue rather than a criminal one.
Statistics show lower rates of drug-related deaths and overdose fatalities in these countries compared to nations with stricter drug laws.

2. Reduced Criminalization:

Decriminalizing marijuana reduces the burden on the criminal justice syste…  Read morem.
It frees up resources and law enforcement's time to focus on more serious crimes.
This approach has led to lower incarceration rates and fewer non-violent drug offenders in prisons.
3. Tax Revenue and Economic Benefits:

Unregulated Marijuana sold on the street is dangerous. (T levels!!) Causes more harm and subsequent increase in health costs. Jail and harder penalties are not a disincentive. When you take drugs the last thing you think about is the consequences of getting caught. Also a regulated market will reduce demand from gangs (although P is now the replacement )

Do "tinny houses ask for ID and do they only sell weed? Do they care about issues that may arise or do quality control?

https://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/matters-of-substance/archive/october-2017/cannabis-causes-32-deaths-each-year/

https://www.actionpoint.org.nz/deaths-from-alcohol

It's common sense It should be legal as the benefits from taxing it's use provides nz with more funding and takes money away from the black market reducing harm

All you would need to do is show them the proof that’s already out there online you’ll find more good then bad just have to look 👀

Safer than alcohol.

More money for government spending.

Mental health problems reduced.

A happier country.

A busier supermarket.

Of cause with good rules in place.

its already being used in our society, it exists. its not marijuana that is creating problems. its our stance on it and how we have criminalized it.

It does not cause aggression or increase in crime. Look at alcohol, in comparison??
Marijuana can be used to CURE medical conditions

Marijuana can help people with pain. It’s a lot more than just a “party drunk” I think alcohol is more dangerous to our society then Marijuana. If you can smoke vapes and cigarettes then you should be able to use marijuana if you choose too.

More than 250 000 people are still accessing it through black market but they need it for medicinal purposes. Regulation will help more people who actually need it to access.

Marijuana sucks. It makes you high and is leading to 99.9 percent of NZ's deaths. Just because you like being high, do you really want to die?

marijuana has been seen to help people with physical and mental health problem. alcohol is legal and so much worse for you health

every states in usa that legalized weed showed an increase of tax money which covered any budget holes they had and also reduced amount of crime.

Using Marijuana will lead to harder drug use, this is simply not true.
Marijuana causes less problems medically and socially than alcohol does.
Legalising means the sale of Marijuana could be controlled cutting out the criminal element and receiving tax from the sale.

It’s a known fact that Māori are to be convicted for marijuana related crimes. It’s often the thing that starts their criminal record for something less dangerous than drinking.

I don’t have the number on me and cbf looking it up, but over half of people in nz have tried marijuana at some point in their life. If there was perfect enforcement of the law the it would make the majority of kiwis criminals, and it seems wrong that luck determines in a large way which people got convictions from it and which didn’t.

So long as there is an age limit on who can use it or special limitations.. I don't see what's wrong..