While New Zealand voters opted to legalize euthanasia in certain cases in their national vote in October, voters still didn’t vote in favor of recreational cannabis use, to the disappointment of many local advocates and cannabis consumers.
The results of the cannabis referendum were close, with only 53 percent opposing recreational cannabis and 46 percent in favor. In New Zealand, special votes that include overseas submissions, have yet to be counted. Previous voter data reveals that these special votes tend to lean more toward liberal opinion, however it is not likely that it will sway the results of this particular voting scenario.
Chlöe Swarbrick, a liberal lawmaker from the Green Party, still remains optimistic that the vote could go in the favor of legal cannabis when new information is released next week. “We have said from the outset that this would always come down to voter turnout. We’ve had record numbers of special votes, so I remain optimistic,” she said. “New Zealand has had a really mature and ever-evolving conversation about drug laws in this country and we’ve come really far in the last three years.”
If cannabis is legalized in New Zealand, the new measure would allow residents to buy up to half an ounce per day, or 14 grams. Individuals would also be able to grow up to two-plants. Since the vote was nonbinding, legislation will still have to be passed to formally push it through in cases of opposition.
New Zealand’s recently re-elected Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, admitted that she’s consumed cannabis in October during a debate. “Yes I did, a long time ago” she told the audience. Although viewers cheered her honesty, Ardern ultimately did not speak out for or against the cannabis referendum. According to a poll, approximately 80 percent of New Zealanders have consumed cannabis. As of September, the country’s cannabis market is estimated to be worth $1.5 billion.
As far as medical cannabis goes in New Zealand, limited pharmaceutical cannabis products can be prescribed by a doctor, and some non-pharmaceutical cannabis products can be approved on case-by-case basis by the Minister of Health.
