New Zealanders against cannabis legalisation in latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll

The public has a chance to vote on whether cannabis should be legalised in a referendum alongside the 2020 general election, however the latest poll showed 52 per cent of New Zealanders intend to vote against legalisation.

Of those asked in the 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll, 39 per cent wanted cannabis legalised, eight per cent did not know or refused to answer and 1 per cent say they would not vote.

The groups of people who were more likely to be for the legalisation of cannabis included Green Party supporters and people aged 18-34.

Those who were more likely to intend to vote against the legalisation of cannabis were people aged 55 and over and National Party supporters.

Drug Foundation spokesperson Ross Bell said there was “a whole lot of myth and misinformation, scaremongering being run over the last few months, which I think has influenced New Zealand’s thinking on this”.

“I think the Government has tied its own hands, saying this is a referendum for the public and this is not Government policy, which means there is a big vacuum that’s been created and currently filled with misinformation.”