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New Zealand narrowly votes no to legalising cannabis in referendum
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2020-11-07 at 12:27 AM UTCWhile the progressive world recognizes the benefits of ending the prohibition of cannabis, New Zealand falls behind:
New Zealanders have voted not to legalise cannabis in a referendum that painted a portrait of a country starkly divided over drug policy.
The yes vote for legalising cannabis finished with 48.4% of the vote, trailing the no vote on 50.7% – or just 67,662 votes out of 2.9m.
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Former Labour prime minister, Helen Clark, said cannabis prohibition “doesn’t work” and should be abandoned, a position echoed by many leading public health professionals.
“Clearly, the prospect of invoking criminal sanctions has had little impact on people’s behaviour,” Clark wrote in a recent opinion piece for the Guardian.
“Evidence from longitudinal studies carried out in New Zealand indicates that by the age of 25, 80% of New Zealanders will have tried cannabis at least once. Put simply, prohibition-based policy approaches have not eradicated and will not eradicate cannabis consumption and supply in New Zealand or anywhere else where its use is established.”
Meanwhile, systemic racism still plagues their native population:Māori account for 16% of New Zealand’s population and are shown to be disproportionately affected by New Zealand’s drug laws, facing three times as many arrests and prosecutions for possession of cannabis than non-Māori.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/06/new-zealand-narrowly-votes-no-to-legalising-cannabis-in-referendum -
2020-11-07 at 12:30 AM UTCI thought they already had legalised it
why would you assume systemic racism? have you ever met a maori? I don't think there's a word for 'subtlety' in their language -
2020-11-07 at 5:02 AM UTCSomehow America passed all 7 pro drug laws on the ballots this year. Was surprised NZ didnt. I thought they were progressive. They legalized spice.
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2020-11-07 at 5:08 AM UTC
Originally posted by MexicanMasterRace Somehow America passed all 7 pro drug laws on the ballots this year. Was surprised NZ didnt. I thought they were progressive. They legalized spice.
The funniest one was the heavily conservative state just below mine passing both recreational and medicinal marijuana at the same time. And the conservative state to the left also legalizing recreational. And somehow the liberal state to the right of mine still not legalizing recreational. And ND just sitting here voting in dead republicans. -
2020-11-07 at 5:13 AM UTC
Originally posted by mmQ The funniest one was the heavily conservative state just below mine passing both recreational and medicinal marijuana at the same time. And the conservative state to the left also legalizing recreational. And somehow the liberal state to the right of mine still not legalizing recreational. And ND just sitting here voting in dead republicans.
I think public support is changing either way.
Do you even have weed in ND? Electricity? -
2020-11-07 at 11:44 AM UTCGood, up the penalty to a death sentence while you're at it
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2020-11-07 at 4:14 PM UTC
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2020-11-07 at 4:28 PM UTCSounds like they should not vote for the idiots running their country.
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2020-11-08 at 1:17 AM UTC
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2020-11-08 at 1:35 AM UTC
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2020-11-08 at 3:17 AM UTCLets face it, women are large and in charge these days
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2020-11-08 at 3:57 AM UTC
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2020-11-08 at 4:08 AM UTCWhy can't women become men's property again, like it was in the good old days?