Mixing weed, alcohol and driving: The ‘unanswered question’ in the cannabis referendum

NewsHub 22 February 2020
Family First Comment: This is a situation where one plus one actually equals a lot more than two. People don’t realise that the combination of alcohol and cannabis… acts as a multiplier. Combining even a small amount of alcohol with drugs is going to potentially mean that you are really, really impaired and shouldn’t be driving.

By the end of this year it could be legal in New Zealand to smoke a joint at a party, which could raise an interesting dilemma. If you have a beer or two and a few puffs on a joint, will you be able to drive?

Most Kiwis know the drink driving laws. If they find themselves at a party and they’re planning to drive, generally people will only have one or two drinks.

But what will the cannabis laws be, and do Kiwis realise the potentially deadly consequences of mixing the two substances with driving?

These questions have been brought sharply into focus ahead of the cannabis referendum this year.

Last year the Government released a draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill which Kiwis will vote on at the election. If passed, recreational cannabis would be made legal.

The proposed law change includes a number of control measures such as a minimum purchase age of 20, a ban on marketing and advertising and controls on the potency of recreational cannabis being sold.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/02/mixing-weed-alcohol-and-driving-the-unanswered-question-in-the-cannabis-referendum.html

Keep up with family issues in NZ.
Receive our weekly emails direct to your Inbox.