The Guardian 18 March 2020
Family First Comment: The black market flourishes in legalised places:
“The government’s pot is too expensive. The government doesn’t show you a picture of what you’re buying before you buy it, so you cannot be informed as a consumer. The government weed has been full of bugs, mouldy or too dry in some cases, and often takes too long to get there,” one user said. “The legal stuff is garbage,” said another Reddit user. A third said: “Friends don’t let friends smoke government weed.” Canadian government survey results released last month found that 40% of the country’s marijuana consumers admit to having obtained the drug illegally since legalisation.

North America’s biggest companies have seen their market values lose billions, prompting comparisons to dotcom bust

Cannabis may be legal in Vancouver but visitors looking to score are likely to run into a seemingly counterintuitive suggestion: try the black market.

Recreational marijuana was legalised across Canada in October 2018. And yet on Reddit, the specialist forum website used by millions every day, many of Vancouver’s cannabis connoisseurs still swear by their underground supply.

This is one of the major issues facing North America’s marijuana companies, which experts say are in the midst of a dotcom-style market crash.

Canada and 11 US states have legalised recreational use of the drug, and a little over a year ago companies that cultivate and sell cannabis were seen by investors as one of the hottest tickets in town. Now billions of dollars have been wiped off the market values of the industry’s largest companies.

The North American Marijuana Index, which tracks listed firms in the sector, has plummeted about 80% in the last year and is at its lowest value since 2016, before much legalisation had taken place.
READ MORE: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/18/cannabis-canada-legal-recreational-business

Fox News Denver 9 March 2020
Family First Comment: The consequences of legalisation 
“ “It’s important that kids know that not everyone is using marijuana. Oftentimes, children think, ‘Everyone’s doing it, so I should too.'”

Eleven middle school students at Adams City Middle School in Commerce City consumed THC on Monday, sparking a criminal investigation, officials said. Most of the students were sent to a hospital.

A spokesman for Adams 14 School District said the affected students were disoriented and vomiting. School officials called for emergency services shortly before 2:30 p.m. Monday.

Eleven students consumed what officials describe as marijuana-infused candy.

Nine of the 11 students were put on ambulances and taken to a hospital for observation. Two were well enough to be released to their parents.

“No one was, at any time, in any life-threatening danger,” said district spokesman John Poynton.

Experts say youth THC use remains flat. But for children who do use marijuana, surveys show more are turning to edibles.

“When you take high-THC marijuana-concentrated oil and you combine that with candy, you’re asking for trouble,” said Henny Lasley with Smart Colorado.

Smart Colorado is an advocacy group for children. It was created following marijuana legalization in Colorado.
READ MORE: https://kdvr.com/news/local/8-students-at-commerce-city-middle-school-taken-to-hospital-after-ingesting-unknown-substance/

Stuff co.nz 10 March 2020
Family First Comment: “We need to continue to disrupt the organised crime group and take their assets. We need to demonstrate to these organisations that organised crime activity won’t be tolerated in New Zealand, and it is simply not worth it. But on the other end we need to work with our communities to address the problem of addiction.” – Detective Constable Blair MacDonald, manager of the National Drug Intelligence Bureau (NDIB).
Exactly, but don’t legalise it. That would be a public health and societal disaster.

Almost 1.8 tonnes of methamphetamine was seized in New Zealand last year, yet the drug continues to dominate the illicit substance abuse market. Are we losing the war against meth? MARINÉ LOURENS reports.

“I didn’t even know what meth was until family members introduced me to it. They were dealers and they were like, ‘You have to try this!’ I guess it was peer pressure. And when I tried it, it was really good. At first I didn’t think I was addicted, but then I started using more and more.”

Melanie* was 33 years old when she first used methamphetamine. What was first a novelty quickly became a habit. It wasn’t long until she was using the drug a few times a week.

But it is a slippery slope to rock bottom. Melanie ended up on the street after losing her house, her furniture and custody of her children before she realised she needed to seek help.

She has now been clean for more than a year.

Melanie is one of thousands of New Zealanders who has fallen victim to the surge of meth across the country.

A record amount of meth was seized by New Zealand law enforcement agencies in 2019 – just under 1.8 tonnes.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/119876871/new-zealand-an-attractive-target-for-cartels-in-war-against-meth

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NZ Herald 4 March 2020
Family First Comment: Excellent commentary by National MP Harete Hipango…
“This is the reality of the people and communities I have worked amidst throughout my almost 30 years in criminal, family, youth, child welfare and mental health law. Do I have a bias? Most definitely.
Cannabis addiction is a pre-cursor to ongoing and intensified harm, domestic and social problems, family violence, intra and inter-familial issues, mental health afflictions and inter-generational cyclical manifestations.”

The Whanganui Science Forum organised a public meeting last Tuesday as an opportunity to share views with the public – views from divergent speakers and contexts on the potentially soon to be smokin’ and hot topic of cannabis.

As the election approaches, so too does the referendum, where voters will be asked whether or not they support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill.

There are two things worth pointing out – one, this bill (and debate) is different from the Medicinal Cannabis Bill which was passed into law last December, and two, decriminalising and legalising are two very different issues with their own implications.

I support decriminalising – in other words, users/consumers of small amounts of cannabis for personal use are exempt from criminal conviction, which has enduring consequences for many.

I am yet to be persuaded by and convinced of a robust and plausible argument in favour of the legalisation of recreational cannabis.

Cannabis is used by people from all socio-economic backgrounds, and while some consume it for “recreation”, others become dependent on and captive to it.

The “recreational” users – those who use for leisure and temporary sensory pleasure (often associated with higher socio-economic classes and/or “white privilege”), are not the same type of users as those most prone or predisposed to addiction – the need/desire to escape reality of economic and/or societal hardships and prejudice.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503426&objectid=12313388

NewsHub 2 March 2020
ACT leader David Seymour is threatening to strip Young ACT of their name, as the youth wing of his political party plans to have drug paraphernalia for sale at a university event to promote their new policy.

The Young ACT policy, released on Monday, is to legalise not just cannabis but also LSD or acid, magic mushrooms, and MDMA – the main ingredient in ecstasy.

“This regulated market would allow us to better control who consumes drugs, their potency, and force producers and distributors to provide information regarding the risks and effects of the drugs in question,” Young ACT’s statement said.

“Young ACT believes that this approach also respects the individual’s right to make informed decisions about their life.”

But party leader David Seymour told Newshub the policy is not something “you’ll see anytime soon” and that legalising drugs is “not a political priority” for him.

Newshub has learned of a stunt Young ACT is planning for Tuesday to have drug paraphernalia available to be bought at their stalls at university clubs week. The youth wing will have Shosha – a store that sells vaping and smoking supplies – present at their stall.

That’s news to Seymour.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/03/david-seymour-threatens-to-strip-young-act-s-name-amid-plan-to-sell-drug-paraphernalia.html

Young Act stall displays drug paraphernalia at an O-week uni stall in Wellington despite warnings from David Seymour
NZ Herald 3 March 2020
The youth wing of the Act Party has made good on its promise of displaying drug paraphernalia at its orientation week stall at Victoria University.

But Act leader David Seymour – who visited the stall earlier today – says as the students were not breaking the law and thus Act would not strip them of their Act membership.

The stunt echoes similar moves from Young Act in 2008, where members of the Youth Wing were selling party pills for $1 each if the customer signed up to Act on Campus.

This was just two weeks before they were made illegal.

Photos have emerged of Young Act’s O-week stall at the university which shows boxes of Shesha on display next to smoking devices – commonly used for consuming marijuana – and cannabis grinding devises.
READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12313526

Yahoo News 4 February 2020
Family First Comment: “People are using cannabis and cannabinoids for everything and anything, and we don’t have enough systematic research on whether it’s effective for these conditions. People are stopping or reducing prescription drugs to use medical cannabis. It’s a serious issue. The study also highlighted a lack of awareness of the potential risks involved in the use of the drug. For example, only 22% of respondents believed that cannabis consumption during pregnancy could be risky.”

Regular smokers of cannabis have some idea of its medical properties, but a recent US study has shown that their beliefs are out of step with scientific evidence.

Do cannabis users have an accurate understanding of its risks and effectiveness? A study by American researchers who questioned 500 regular smokers of the drug indicates that many of them do not.

Participants, who were selected at the “Hash Bash,” a cannabis advocacy event held annually on the campus of the University of Michigan, were questioned on their use of cannabis, their knowledge of its medical properties, and the risks associated with its consumption.

The majority of participants reported using marijuana on a daily basis, 85% of them for medical reasons. About 78% reported that their knowledge of cannabis stemmed from personal experience, compared with only 23% who had consulted a health care provider or dispensary specializing in medical cannabis, and 18% who had been informed by a primary care provider.

Consumers lack awareness of the potential risks of cannabis
According to the study, which was published in The American Journal of Health Promotion, a majority of respondents believed that cannabis is effective in treating symptoms of cancer (76%) depression (72%) and epilepsy (68%). However, an assessment by the American National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) has concluded that there is little evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids are effective in reducing symptoms of any of these, point out the researchers behind the study.

“People are using cannabis and cannabinoids for everything and anything, and we don’t have enough systematic research on whether it’s effective for these conditions. People are stopping or reducing prescription drugs to use medical cannabis. It’s a serious issue,” warns Daniel Kruger, the main author of the study.
READ MORE: https://news.yahoo.com/study-shows-cannabis-consumers-unaware-actual-effects-132038963.html

As the government pushes a soft line on drugs, including a referendum to legalise cannabis, our young people will be receiving conflicting messages about the safety of drugs, and that drug use is ‘normal’ and not that harmful.

And as parents, you may be unsure how to tackle this during the family discussions that are sure to arise at the dinner table. The pro-cannabis lobby are working hard to ensure that you are not made fully aware of just what the marijuana industry could and would do in New Zealand if they were given the welcome mat.

So we’ve found two great resources – a resource for parents, and a resource you can give to your son or daughter. They have been published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. So – way more reliable than the Drug Foundation and Helen Clark’s propaganda.

Download them for free by simply clicking on the images below.

You’ll be able to start the discussion on this important issue – armed with the facts!

Topics covered include:
* how can I prevent my child from using marijuana?
* basic facts about the potential harms of marijuana use on the brain, body and behaviour
* how important is marijuana potency?
* tips for parents for starting the conversation

For your teen, there’s great information and discussion on addiction, driving, school, mental illness, and other important questions around the effects, whether vaping is safer, does it lead to other drugs, etc.

Download the resource today.

There’s also more educational resources, more important stories, and more great international and local experts on this issue coming from us over the next months.

Check out our official website – www.SayNopeToDope.nz

MarketWatch 5 September 2019
Family First Comment: Disturbing..
“ About 43% of full-time college students said they used some form of pot at least once in the past year, up from 38%, a University of Michigan survey found. About 25% said they did so in the previous month, up from 21%.”

43% said they’ve used pot in past year, as fewer see it as risky behavior

U.S. college students are using marijuana at the highest rates in 35 years, according to a report released Thursday.

About 43% of full-time college students said they used some form of pot at least once in the past year, up from 38%, a University of Michigan survey found. About 25% said they did so in the previous month, up from 21%.

The latest figures are the highest levels seen in the annual survey since 1983.

About 6% of college students said they used marijuana 20 or more times in the past month. For adults the same age who weren’t enrolled in college, the figure was 11%.

“It’s the frequent use we’re most worried about” because it’s linked to poor academic performance and can be detrimental to mental health, said John Schulenberg, one of the Michigan researchers.

College-age adults are the biggest users of marijuana than any other age group. Use among high school students has been flat for a few years.
READ MORE: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/rate-of-us-college-students-using-marijuana-at-35-year-high-2019-09-05

The Conversation 21 February 2020
Family First Comment: Cannabis use has been declining in many Western nations where cannabis use remains illegal, including New Zealand. This appears to be part of a broader shift in adolescent behaviour, not a response to policy changes.
#saynopetodope
#VoteNO

Adult use of cannabis has risen sharply over the last few years, reflecting softening attitudes towards the drug. But our study, published today, shows cannabis use in adolescents has been decreasing since 2001.

It is important to understand what drives these trends to predict how legalisation could affect teen cannabis use.

Cannabis follows drop in teen drinking and smoking

Our research shows the proportion of 14 to 15-year-olds reporting they had ever used cannabis fell from 19% in 2012 to 14% in 2018. Those who reported using in the past month fell from 10% to 8% over the same period. The recent changes are modest, but they follow substantial declines in cannabis use among high school students between 2001 and 2012.

My earlier research showed young New Zealanders are also less likely to smoke, drink or be sexually active than their 1990s counterparts. And New Zealand isn’t the only country to observe a drop in adolescent substance use over the past two decades.

Teen smoking and alcohol use declined in almost all OECD countries, and teen cannabis use has fallen since the early 2000s in many countries, including Australia, England, Canada (pre-legalisation), and several European countries.

Although US researchers have seen a marked shift in high school students’ attitudes towards cannabis, with fewer teens thinking of it as a harmful drug, they have found no rise in cannabis use.

Separate studies reached the same conclusion that lower cannabis use is linked to falling rates of drinking and smoking among teens.

European research helps to explain the US findings. According to a Norwegian study young people expressed greater willingness to try cannabis in recent years but had fewer opportunities to do so. This seems to be because young people are spending less face to face time with their friends in the evenings – the situation when cannabis use typically occurs.

Another explanation for lower cannabis use in 14 to 15 year olds is that people are starting older than in the past. Research shows the average age when young people first try smoking, drinking and cannabis has gone up in recent years in New Zealand, Australia and the US. Closer supervision by parents and [changing attitudes to smoking and drinking] among young people themselves appear to play a role.

…. Firstly, cannabis use has been declining in many Western nations where cannabis use remains illegal, including New Zealand. This appears to be part of a broader shift in adolescent behaviour, not a response to policy changes.

Declining teen cannabis use in states that have decriminalised recreational cannabis does not prove that cannabis age restrictions work. Rather, teen cannabis use has likely fallen in those states for the same reason it has fallen elsewhere: young people are spending [less time with their friends] and have fewer opportunities for substance use in general.

Secondly, it is well known that adolescents access alcohol and tobacco primarily through friends and family, not from retailers. Why would cannabis be any different? Given the draft law allows cannabis growing for personal use, it is highly likely that legalisation will result in increased access through young people’s social networks.
https://theconversation.com/teen-use-of-cannabis-has-dropped-in-new-zealand-but-legalisation-could-make-access-easier-132165

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

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