Ed

Stuff co.nz 20 October 2020
Our additional comment: “Cannabidiol (CBD oil) is already as easy to buy online as clothes.”
So we don’t need to legalise cannabis for medicinal then eh

Kiwis who don’t want to wait for the results of the cannabis referendum say cannabidiol (CBD oil) is already as easy to buy online as clothes.

Since January 2019, 40.2 litres of CBD oil has been stopped and seized by Customs at the border across 5918 separate packages.

But an Auckland man who gets “regular shipments” through the post from the United States claims that’s “a drop in the ocean” compared to what has been making it through.

Some companies are getting their CBD through Customs by declaring the oil as a “dietary supplement”, or as food colouring, he said.

A former professional athlete said he had been importing “small amounts” of CBD oil to aid in his recovery from injuries since late 2018.

“I went in pretty sceptical at first but it’s done wonders for both my sleep and inflammation, and now it’s as easy as ordering clothes online,” he said.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/cannabis-referendum/300136179/cannabis-referendum-cbd-oil-as-easy-to-buy-online-as-clothes-customer-says

The Guardian 20 October 2020
Our additional comment: DISTURBING. The real drugs agenda – revealed…..
“Cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines should be “nationalised” and sold legally in government-run pharmacies to undermine global drug-related crime, a UK drugs reform charity has recommended. In a book – with a foreword written by the former prime minister of New Zealand Helen Clark….” ☹

Cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines should be “nationalised” and sold legally in government-run pharmacies to undermine global drug-related crime, a UK drugs reform charity has recommended.

In a book – with a foreword written by the former prime minister of New Zealand Helen Clark – the drugs liberalisation campaign group Transform has sought to set out practical ways to sell the drugs in state-run special pharmacies as an alternative to what it calls the “unwinnable war against drugs”.

The book includes a mock-up of what a packet of legal, prescription cocaine would look like, including health warnings, which Transform said could be sold over the counter by specially trained chemists.

The book proposes that a specialist regulatory agency, overseen by the government, could license production of the drugs.

Only a single adult use dosage of the drugs would be available in unbranded pharma-style plain packaging with highly visible health warnings and risk information. The new regulatory agency would determine prices and there would be a ban on advertising the drugs.

The sale would be managed by a state monopoly to minimise profit incentives, which Transform said would only increase sales. Specialist new pharmacies would open under strict controls with vendors trained to offer health and risk-reduction advice to drug users.
READ MORE: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/20/government-urged-to-sell-cocaine-and-ecstasy-in-pharmacies

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Forbes 2 October 2020
Our additional comment: Big Tobacco becomes Big Marijuana
“Altria has long acknowledged that tobacco consumption is declining and has sought to diversify its offerings. Experts contacted for this article say the patents show how Altria is considering a more direct play in the marijuana market..”

Tobacco giant Altria made a very public splash with its $1.8 billion investment in recreational cannabis in 2019. Since buying in, the company has been much more quietly trying to claim a long-term stake in the marijuana industry by patenting cannabis technology, public records show.

In late February of this year, Altria, the parent company of cigarette brands including Marlboro and Parliament, filed two patent applications for vaporizer devices specifically designed for cannabis, according to United States Patent and Trademark Office filings.

The company is also the current owner on two older vaporizer patents from the same inventor filed earlier and acquired through a sale, a company spokesman said. Those patents also specifically mention cannabis.

The Altria cannabis devices have temperature controls meant to allow consumers to vaporize THC or CBD. The two best-known cannabinoids in marijuana—both of which have specific medical applications, according to recent research—also have different release points.

Altria has long acknowledged that tobacco consumption is declining and has sought to diversify its offerings.
READ MORE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisroberts/2020/10/02/tobacco-giant-altria-is-securing-technology-in-new-frontier-marijuana/#30e8dc214af9

Radio NZ News 16 October 2020
Family First Comment: Most of the respondents believed that legalising recreational cannabis will have a negative impact on vulnerable communities such as Māori and Pacific people in South Auckland.
• 72% (say it would have a negative impact) from a child and youth wellbeing viewpoint.
• 53% from a crime viewpoint.
• 46% from a health viewpoint.
• 44% from an economic viewpoint.
However, only 11% say that it will have a positive impact on the wellbeing of child and youth should recreational cannabis become legal.

A new survey reveals that Pasifika and Māori South Auckland voters oppose the two referendums in the upcoming general election.

My Truth Movement: General Election 2020 survey was conducted by The Cause Collective; a social change organisation focused on the wellbeing of Pacific people and South Auckland communities.

Most of the respondents believed that legalising recreational cannabis will have a negative impact on vulnerable communities such as Māori and Pacific people in South Auckland.

72% (say it would have a negative impact) from a child and youth wellbeing viewpoint.
53% from a crime viewpoint.
46% from a health viewpoint.
44% from an economic viewpoint.
However, only 11 percent say that it will have a positive impact on the wellbeing of child and youth should recreational cannabis become legal.
READ MORE: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/428479/south-auckland-maori-and-pasifika-oppose-both-referendums-poll-shows

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NewsHub 15 October 2020
Our additional comment: The hidden advice says “there would almost certainly be unintended and unanticipated consequences of legalising cannabis for personal use”, and says “there is insufficient data to understand the medium- to long-term impacts” of legalisation. More than 1.5 million early votes had already been cast. So for those who have already voted in the cannabis referendum, they’ve done so without all the information – because the Government didn’t want to release this report. ☹

Just days out from votes from the cannabis referendum being counted, Justice Minister Andrew Little has dropped a bombshell by claiming weed prohibition has failed in New Zealand.

It comes as yet another cannabis report the Government didn’t want you to see is revealed by Newshub, following the release of a pair of eye-opening Business and Economic Research Ltd (BERL) reports last month.

After going to the Ombudsman, more of the research behind the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill Kiwis are voting on in the referendum has been released.

“The cannabis legalisation camp never seem to want to admit that cannabis use was going to go up,” health expert and Massey University Professor Chris Wilkins said.

“But it seemed to me pretty common sense that once you legalised you had retail outlets and you had normalisation that you were going to get some increase in cannabis use.”

The report also shows the price of cannabis has remained unchanged for decades – a tinny will still cost you $20, and an ounce $350.

But it could get cheaper.

“The price of legal cannabis in most jurisdictions has plunged by about 50 percent or more,” Prof Wilkins said.

In this impact assessment, the Government admits the supply and demand for cannabis is unlikely to change significantly unless there is a change in approach.

But it also outlines “there would almost certainly be unintended and unanticipated consequences of legalising cannabis for personal use”, and says “there is insufficient data to understand the medium- to long-term impacts” of legalisation.

The Justice Minister is not worried.

“Really the question is, can we expect to do better if we both legalise and control cannabis in our communities? At the moment it’s there, and it’s out of control.”

More than 1.5 million early votes had already been cast. So for those who have already voted in the cannabis referendum, they’ve done so without all the information – because the Government didn’t want to release this report.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/cannabis-referendum-justice-minister-says-prohibition-has-failed-as-new-report-reveals-scale-of-use-in-new-zealand.html

Stuff co.nz 15 October 2020
Our additional comment: Nice 🙂
“Both referendum questions have been a regular feature… He and other pastors at the church have been speaking about the “risks” they believe passing the referendums pose and what they believed the Bible had to say about each. The church also produced videos about the End of Life Choice Bill and handed out Family First pamphlets opposing both referendums at services.”
Valueyourvote.nz

With the election only days away, South Auckland’s church-going voters could a have a big say in the outcome of the two referendums.

Close to three quarters of respondents to a survey of Māori and Pasifika voters in south Auckland said they opposed the End of Life Choice Act, half of those citing religious reasons.

The survey, carried out by community group The Cause Collective, also found 71 percent of those surveyed thought the legalisation of cannabis would have a negative effect on their community.

Electorates with large Pasifika communities often have some of the lowest turnouts on election day. At the last election, the electorates of Māngere, Manurewa and Manukau East combined, had more than 46,000 registered voters who did not turn up to the polls.

But with two thirds of all Polynesian people identifying as Christian at the 2018 census, many of those missing voters are also turning up to church on Sundays – a fact that hasn’t been missed by church leaders.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/300120825/churchgoing-south-auckland-voters-could-help-sway-referendums

NZ Herald 14 October 2020
Aaron Ironside gives us his thoughts on the Cannabis, Legislation and Control Referendum. Aaron is spokesman for Say Nope to Dope.

Interview starts at 50’48”
LISTEN ON : https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/leighton-smith-podcast-us-election-and-cannabis-referendum/OJMZ3ZJKMN36NVFHGKD4JZJXL4/

Radio NZ News 15 October 2020
Our additional comment: These sorts of stories cause serious concern for Aaron Ironside, who leads the Say Nope to Dope campaign opposing legalisation. He does not think an age limit on purchase will stop kids from trying it, as is the case with current alcohol laws. Ironside said when the brain is developing, you do not want to be using substances that could impact on that development. “The risk of psychosis, the risk of cannabis use disorder, is four times higher for adolescent use, but also it’s in the flow-on effects of poor educational outcomes which in turn lead to poor employment outcomes.”

Anti-cannabis campaigners say the minimum age of 20 to use and purchase weed wouldn’t stop young people from feeling the harm of legalisation.

Marijuana can halt motivation for young people, leading to them dropping out of school and stunting their development, and it can cause mental health issues like psychosis.

But those issues are already happening in New Zealand, and international examples show Canada’s youth usage rates dropped after legalisation.

Diana Ranger has seen the worst of cannabis use in young people.

Her nephew was forced to take the drug by a gang when he was 10, and she said he suffered from psychosis as a result.

“He was going in and out sanity and insanity, and he bit me right through the arm,” Ranger said. “I didn’t know a human could break the skin and leave actual bite marks.

“Then he’d recover, and he’d lose his mind again. He’d shove his fist right through windows.

“It took all night with the help of one of my sons to recover.”

Ranger said that happened 40 years ago, and the man is still feeling the effects today.

These sorts of stories cause serious concern for Aaron Ironside, who leads the Say Nope to Dope campaign opposing legalisation.

He does not think an age limit on purchase will stop kids from trying it, as is the case with current alcohol laws.

Ironside said when the brain is developing, you do not want to be using substances that could impact on that development.

“The risk of psychosis, the risk of cannabis use disorder, is four times higher for adolescent use, but also it’s in the flow-on effects of poor educational outcomes which in turn lead to poor employment outcomes.”

Ironside said he is also concerned about the second-hand impact of smoking cannabis.

“We’re very concerned to read this study that suggested up to 50 percent of the children, in this particular study, where they were inhaling second-hand cannabis smoke, had THC in their urine,” Ironside said.

“We’ve heard from many teachers who can give first hand accounts of the children who come from homes where cannabis is being used, that the children are clearly affected, clearly unable to engage in a days schooling in the same way that their classmates are able to.”

That study included 83 children, and was conducted in Colorado.

Ironside also pointed to a study which showed children exposed to second-hand cannabis smoke may be 80 percent more likely to suffer adverse outcomes.

That study, conducted in California, included 29 children who had been exposed to cannabis.
READ MORE: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/428371/cannabis-age-limit-won-t-reduce-harm-in-young-people-campaigners-say

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I was born in to a middle class working family in the suburbs of Vancouver,BC, Canada.

My teenage years were in the mid 90s. I started smoking dope habitually at the age of 14,  with consumption increasing to ounces per week. Most definitely myself and the kids I hung out with were addicted to getting high.  Weed, booze, harder drugs nothing was off limits. The liberal minded could be label it as harmless “partying” or “just being young” but when you binge every weekend or get high every day there is no doubt you are an addict and it will affect the trajectory of your life.

I’ve lived through the years of Canadian politicians lobbying to decriminalise and legalise marijuana.

I’ve heard all the same lies I’m hearing the parties involved here speak now.

From experience and having seen the outcomes of the legalisation of marijuana my views are the following.

• Legalising marijuana most definitely will not make a dent in the black market, people will buy from the cheapest supply and the black market will undercut the legalised market in a way where gov’t weed can’t be grown or sold cheap enough. The black market still thrives and sells weed in Vancouver.
• The taxes the gov’t makes from selling weed will not all go in to addiction recovery and social programs to combat drug addiction and the problems caused by legalisation.  Does all of our tax we pay for fuel and RUCS go back in to roading the transport infrastructure they tell us it does? NO, and its a big lie if they say it does.
• The legalisation or decriminalisation of marijuana removes any fear of prosecution and police resources will more often than not not be used to enforce bylaws like no smoking in public.  Once the fear of prosecution is removed you’ll see parks filled with young people blatantly smoking weed, or adults/young people smoking wherever and whenever they feel like it because they know 9 out of 10 times there will be no resource to enforce the law or if there is there will be no criminal action.

It took me close to 15 years to break out of the dysfunction of constant substance abuse and get my life back on track.

Why do we need to legalise weed, which more often than not is used to mask the problems of serious dysfunction?   Wouldn’t it be wiser to go further upstream and tackle the issues causing these dysfunctions than to say lets legalise the drug so these people can medicate themselves of their problems?

I used to work about a block away from Vancouver’s first “safe injection site”  which was a taxpayer funded place people could go and shoot heroin and hard drugs.  What we heard for years and years from politicians is that it would help clean up the neighbourhood and go a long way in reducing the number of addicts.  I would walk through hundreds of “zombies” every day and the numbers never decreased, the increased.

Again isn’t money going to tackle the problems further upstream that are causing these problems?

In 2010 when the Winter Olympics came to town, they took all of those “zombies” and bought them bus tickets out of town and out of province so surprise, surprise when the world showed up the neighbourhood was nice and clean.

I’ve lived through and seen the destruction caused by the lies and hopefully my experience will help influence someone to vote NO in this upcoming referendum.

(Name withheld by request)

READ MORE: saynopetodope.org.nz/canada/