Marijuana should be legalised, eg no fine and no criminal record, but limits on how much can be grown ?

On average, everyone is neutral with significant nonconsensus between 375 voters.

Reasons To Disagree

If legaised, why restrict amount grown? This compromise solution lacks logic.

Drug using is dangerous and destructive to the individual, the family and society as a whole, there should be ABSOLUTELY NO encouragement of drug taking, growing, importing, distribution and supply. Look what has happened since the drinking age was lowered.

The drug does not need to be criminalised - just malicious/dangerous actions while under the influence. 5 years in prison for grafiti while stoned, etc

There are health risks with marijuana, it damages memory and has the potential to cause as much harm if not more harm than use of excessive alcohol.

I strongly disagree. As cases have proven (e.g. Holland) inching toward the legalisation of cannibis only works to promote the culture which surrounds the drug. We all know it's not a flash one. The last thing we need is drippy people attracting drippy tourists.

What kind of happy can you be when you take marijuana? People (with brains that can function well) will stay away from you. We can not control what people do. Which means, we can't tell people that there should be limited number of marijuana grown. If people still took the drug while it was illegal, what difference will it make if we had to limit on how much can be grown? People just don't listen. I say NO to marijuana!!!!!!!

Do u want Nz children to be in a country and be raised in a country where drugs that could be harmful exist and can be used by anybody.

Reasons To Agree

Growing enough for personal supply - ok (why let it be something the gangs profit from). Growing / possessing quantities in excess of moderate consumtion for an individual (ie intention to trade in it) - criminal offence

It is not the drug, but the lifestyle of the user that causes problems in society. The majority of users do otcause anti-social crime. Nor is there a proven link between marijuana and narcotics.

The research has been done, in many countries, and the concensus is that not only cannabis, but all drugs should be decriminalised. Criminalisation simply doesn't work, and people like me, who are otherwise law-abiding, end up branded as criminals in the eyes of the state, irrespective of whether we get convicted. At least 30% of the people I work with smoke cannabis, and at least 20% have taken other recreational drugs. I wouldn't class one of them as a criminal, and neither should the government.

Nobody has ever been killed by somebody throwing marijuana off a bridge.

Massive police resources are wasted on minor drug offences in New Zealand. A considerable proportion of New Zealanders have smoked cannabis and many users are normal healthy contributing members of society. Police time and money is wasted on a relatively harmless drug. If legalised, citizens could use marijuana without the risk of sponsoring drug lords and crime.

Commercial transactions must be Protected by the law,and only then can they be managed by society.

Wasn't it Titiwhai Harawira, that esteemed *cough* *cough* maori leader who called upon all maoris to "Kill a white"???? I think it was.... It seems funny to me that the great maori leaders of old said we are one people but maori today say we are two.... and so much effort is put into splitting the country on basis of race. What on earth do you need a maori electoral roll for??? We all vote for one government don't we???? Yeah, let's all give the power to a stone-age civilisation... real smart....Their highest technology was a sharp stone tied to a stick. Oh no i forgot they're in touch with the land and all...yeah right... How good were they to the moa?? How good are they to the Paua and other shellfish???

Its being used everywhere in New Zealand. Probably used by at least one person on every street. The only reason why it is not legal is because the Govt cannot get tax off it. Legalise it and you'll notice a drop in criminal rates and the police can put their eyes on more important issues such as youth violence in the south auckland area. Focus on the real problems!

Prohibition does NOT WORK - it only serves to provide a subversive network of "criminal" suppliers.

Agree :) no reason really just that it makes people happy i wouldnt care what some scientest says lulz

Note how many people agreed and have reason compared to the amount of people who dissagree with no reason?

I think it should be legalised - but with very strict limits. I think it should only be allowed for medical and religious purposes only. It should not be issued to whoever asks for it. For medical purposes, it should only be available on prescription by a hospital doctor and it should only be allowed for very serious diseases - and even then, it should have to be proven that the patient GENUINELY needs it. As for religious purposes, they should give it to the priests or leaders of the religious orders, and they give it out to people they think need it for religious purposes - but only at religious ceremonies/services/meetings/gatherings (ie. NOT allowed to use it at home), only for people over 18, and only a certain amount per person per ceremony/service/meeting/gathering.

it should be legailesd

This will weaken gangs and drug dealers, and by making the drugs cheaper, and less taboo, more commonplace, it is likely that fewer people will choose to try the drug, and far fewer will become frequent users, and those who are current users, will be paying less for it, and therefore will be able to spend more money on other things, putting more money into the economy.

i think marijuana should be legalised as people that actuallly do smoke it are no harm to others and the surrounding environment, people who do smoke marijuana do it through there own will and are not forced to, people who generallly disagree with smoking marijuana, can choose not be around marijuana users. everybody has to make there own choices in life, so why should this be any different. there are far worse recreational drugs compared to marijuana. so what the big deal, it would cut out major criminal activity, drug dealers and gangs would no longer be geting the profit from selling illegal products, and everyone would know exactly what they are smoking, instead of dealers adding things and sparying marijuana to make it a heavier weight for profit!! LEGALISE MARIJUANA!!!!

ummm to the guy or girl up the page a bit...."Wasn't it Titiwhai Harawira, that esteemed *cough* *cough* maori leader who"....blah blah blah. wats that got to do with the subject? we're talking about weed. LEGALISE IT.. there's nothing wrong with it. i dont have a problem with it... AND I DONT EVEN SMOKE IT =D duznt realy matter what they do n e way. people are going to smoke it forever regaurdless of wat the law is..

Weed makes people happy. Would anyone refute that? Does our PM not want us to be happy?? Besides, it works well in amsterdam, i reckon we could atleast give it a try??? Maybe a test run for a year??

The reason it was made illegal is crap, all the medical research that has been done recently has proved over and over again that marijuana has many medical benefits an also the amount of things that can be made from hemp is incredible and it would stop the use off trees for paper and make the environment better. its stupid to keep ignoring that the law should be changed - look at how many comments there are the agree column....

Cannabis is a victimless crime it has a negative stigma attactched to it that is simply false cannabis propaganda that was portrayed to the public through the 1930s till the 1960s was that it made people kill and commit crime what a load of s*** thats the last thing anyone would want to do while high when you are high on weed you are in controll unlike alchol you are aware and no whats going on you dont hallucinate like media portrays but what you do do is chill back with friends relax harm no one and enjoy what nature has provided people are under the thought that cannabis damages memory hey you might no rememeber every detail of what happened when you were stoned but isnt that the same with getting drunk once the high weres of youre memory returns to normal You cannot die from an overdose on weed yet alchol can kill from an overdose i have nothing against alchol because in moderation its good for you but in society today who drinks in moderation not many people i can beat most of the population of nz between the age of 18 and 50 have been atleast half cut in the past month Cannabis is harmfull to the lungs when smoked and the damage pretty much stops there but any smoke inhaled is harmfull if eaten or drank as a tea weed is a harmless thing "in any civilised society its is every citizens responsibilty to obey just laws. But at the same time it is every citizens responsibilty to disobey unjust laws." (martin luther king jr) "i think people need to be educated to the fact that cannabis is not a drug. But a herb and flower. God put it here. If he put it here and he wants it to grow, what gives the goverment the right to say that god is wrong. (willie nelson)

If prohibition had worked would'nt the war on drugs be over by now? Over the past 40 years the Crown has spent a kings ransom on prosecuting me for pot, in an effort to try and protect me from myself...which is of course a completely impossible task

People need to wake up and realize that cannabis cures! It's the big pharmaceutical corps that lobby to keep it illegal because they won't make any money if we could all grow our own medicine. Cannabis is NOT a gateway drug! People need to do their own research instead of listening to mainstream media & believing whatever bullshit they spin at you. Industrial hemp is also extremely beneficial with thousands of benefits, fuel for one. Please legalize this amazing natural plant & stop feeding people poisonous prescription drugs.

this drug should have never been banned no one ever died from Marijuana and heals diseases and has lots of health benefits

Marijuana should be legalized yes, it is a very safe drug and no one in documented history has ever died from consumption and no one commits crime when 'stoned' it's a very placid, harmless drug which relaxes the mind/body and medical research also shows it can be therapeutic also. I have been a smoker in the past although do not smoke anymore and the very worst it did to me and people I knew who smoked it was make you eat more, however I needed to pack a few kilos on so that was alright. Lots and lots of police time and money are wasted arresting people for possession and cultivation, giving people criminal records for such a minor and silly offence. Legalizing marijuana will get drug dealers who are typically gang members and or associates out of 'business' and will enable police to use there valuable time constructively catching 'real' criminals. Legalize it, it will be well worth it.

It should defiantly be legalized weed helps me it motivates me to get things done and keeps me going it's not as harmful as people seem to think its like cure when your sad or depressed you just smoke some weed and it changes your hole mood they should ban illegal highs like Kronic k2 and legalize weed it's much better and safer and you don't end up in hospital or dead like Kronic does to ya .

Any 12 year old with a computer could tell you that there are ONLY health benefits to cannabis. I don't think it should be legal under the age of 18 as a young persons brain is still developing and they need to be alert to learn, but alcohol shouldn't be available to them either as it does far far more damage to a young person than cannabis ever could. It is stone age ridiculousness, that this 'herb' is criminalised in NZ, when any Tom, Dick or Harry can grow ingredients for much stronger much more harmful and addictive substances in their garden with no consequences at all. Why would the government make this legal though when they can't tax it any easier than tomatoes you grow in your glasshouse. The Maori party NEEDS it to be illegal or the gangs would go out of business and we wouldn't have a racism problem to fund their devisive brand of politics anymore. Also, it's an anti carcinigen, so drug companies would also have no cancer drugs to sell, and that would be a major hit to the economy. Plus there is also the downside that people wouldn't need to wreck their livers with alcohol to relax after a long week at the office, and they would be chilled out, creative and happy all the time. With all of those obvious and logical conclusions (that any 12 year old could make) I can totally understand why the government wants cannabis to stay illegal. But the law has always been an ass.

helps my back pain and let's me relax when I come home from work. This plant makes my life stress free :)

I would rather party with stoners than drunks. If I haear of a fight at a party, I think "That guy must have been drunk" NOT "Oh he must have been stoned":

Legalize the herb and contribute to the green image of new Zealand and let the people free. Let their minds free. Let them choose what they want in their body's the same was you do for alcohol. Its a birth right to explore our own minds ffs.

I agree with legalisation, I do not agree with restricting growth

There are plenty of reasons why it should be legalised. But, in saying that, it depends on the substance. I agree that weed should be legal, but we're not amsterdam. Let's keep it just green. We are a green country after all. And every time I read about how "It affects peoples brains!" all I can think is "Have you actually done research". Alcohol causes more harm than good, but it's legal. Smoking is also another good one. They both give you a "buzz". A "high", so to speak. They're both gate way drugs. Weed was only made illegal in the first place due to America and the war on drugs. And the fact that cotton farm owners hated hemp due to it's absurd amount of properties. How much material can you make with hemp? Fighting for something which was made illegal due to business owners having a cry about it. Sounds like the modern era, really.

YES YES YES THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR🤘🙏🙏🙏