Cannabis legalisation was the subject of an informative referendum panel discussion hosted this week by Musselburgh Baptist Church.
The panellists were Dunedin Multidisciplinary Study researcher Associate Professor Kirsten Robertson, Say Nope to Dope campaign spokesman Aaron Ironside and New Zealand Drug Foundation chairman Tuari Potiki.
Towards the end of the zoom event, panel moderator and ODT journalist Bruce Munro asked the panellists what would change their mind on the referendum.
The public event was run live online.
• New Zealanders will get a chance to vote on whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal as part of the general election on Saturday, October 17.
Related Stories
Comments
Having a speed limit on our roads doesn't stop people from speeding.
Everyone knows this is a fact because most of us have broken this law at some time.
If we show total disregard for this law we will lose our licence for a period of time which will create hardship, especially if we need a licence to work. The record of this penalty will be with us for considerable time and could lead to further harm.
I therefore, I propose we do away with speed limits because of the harm it causes to these people who are often the disadvantaged people in our society, being younger and often having alcohol or social issues.
Also, there are those that don't have a WoF. They don't have the money to keep their cars up to standard, so fines only make the matter worse. Their lives are obviously disadvantaged, which must be our societies fault.
What do you think? Is it a good idea?
Think of the money we could save not policing the roads.
Do away with speed limits because of the harm it causes to these people who are often the disadvantaged people in our society, being younger and often having alcohol or social issues.
Aside from the overall strawman, the above statement has some measure of irony. For, as you will note, the legislation being proposed, mostly because of the desire to protect the very at-risk group you are concerned about, is the very same group we have in effect failed to embrace and excluded from the 'voting' dialogue, instead of consistent drug policy we are giving the alcohol, the drug we drink industry two years free rein before they are allowed something evidently significantly safer.
That acknowledged, it doesn't change your strawman's hat.
"Yes" is still the stuff of social capital.
Blair Anderson, Co-Director
Educators For Sensible Drug Policy,
EFSDP.ORG