“In an ideal world, communities would be completely free of drug use, where we all thrive and live healthy lives. Yet forty years of punitive legal sanctions have only driven problems further underground”, Green Party Drug Reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick said today.

​The Green Party welcome medicinal cannabis regulations released today that will ensure timely treatment for suffering patients.

Police will be given new powers to conduct random roadside oral fluid drug testing to deter, detect and prosecute drugged drivers in order to save lives, Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced today.  

The Green Party welcome draft legislation for the cannabis referendum which will provide the information required for a constructive debate on a controlled, health-based approach to cannabis in New Zealand.

The Green Party welcome the opening of a Suicide Prevention Office that specifically focuses on driving down suicide rates in New Zealand.

Drug use should be treated as a health issue and the Government’s focus should be on reducing harm to New Zealanders. Drugs can cause harm but not all drug use is problematic. Drug policy should focus on harm-reduction and be a health issue Government funding should shift to addiction treatment and rehabilitation programmes, which should be widely available. Needle and syringe exchanges, and safe places for using drugs, should be encouraged. All the Law Commission’s relevant recommendations should be implemented....

New Zealanders deserve a positive and solutions-focused discussion on access to medicinal cannabis, which should be legal, and affordable. Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has has a members’ bill (originally written by Julie Anne Genter) before parliament which would legalise access to cannabis products for New Zealanders suffering from terminal illness or any debilitating condition. We’ve seen a sea change in public attitudes about medicinal cannabis in recent years, thanks to the many brave people who have spoken out about their...