Some 76% of people in New Zealand support some form of cannabis legalisation in New Zealand, according to a new poll.
The online survey by Massey University asked 6300 people their opinions on cannabis use and – unusually, rather than just asking a for a yes/no answer on prohibition – what kind of regulatory regime they would prefer.
27% of respondents were in favour of a ‘grow your own system’, where people could grow and harvest cannabis, but not sell it, while 21% said it should be commercialised and sold like alcohol. Other less popular options included having management by the state or no regulation at all. 19% said they wanted prohibition to continue.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said that there will be a referendum by the end of 2020.
“We’ve got a commitment through our confidence and supply agreement with the Green Party that by 2020 or at the 2020 general election there will be a referendum on cannabis,” she said.
“We are going to put it out to the public.”
From the archive: Cannabis in the Commonwealth