The Green Party says New Zealanders now have a clear vision of how a safe, regulated cannabis market would work in Aotearoa, with the release of the final version of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill.

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....

“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.

The Green Party is celebrating significant changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act that will ensure police treat drug addiction like the health issue it is. "Today we’ve passed the most transformative change in drug law in New Zealand in over 30 years", Green Party spokesperson on drug law reform Chlöe Swarbrick said. "We’re living up to the rhetoric as a country that implements evidence-based policy, and one that prioritises compassion. "Informed by the real-world practice of police, working across...

The Green Party has succeeded in Government negotiations to secure a clear legal regime for cannabis legalisation, Chlöe Swarbrick confirmed today. Today’s announcement by the Minister of Justice Andrew Little confirms that: A referendum will be held at the 2020 election The referendum will be on a detailed law, so New Zealanders can see what they are voting for Private cultivation will be regulated There will be a ban on advertising of cannabis products Purchase will only be legal in...