Yawn – Cannabis referendum is out and surprise surprise, it’s not binding

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
23
7

The incremental it’s almost glacial cannabis referendum is here and it’s another eye rolling mealy mouthed nothing.

The Russel Brown’s, Chloe Swarbrick’s and Drug Foundation cheerleaders of the world are all breathlessly screaming it’s wonderful so as to gloss over the immediate back down on it not being binding…

…great first steps blah blah blah. We’ve heard it all before.

Looking at the way this Government gave up on a  Capital Gains Tax, censored Māori voices in the mental health inquiry, denied Afghan witnesses to participate in our war crime whitewash and seemingly gave up on any meaningful welfare reform, my blackened jaded heart  sees this as another window dressing exercise to look like progress is being made when sweet bugger all is actually being progressed.

I think I’m buying a fiddy worth of sticky icky and I’m getting stalks and leaf while Andrew asks if it’s okay we mix it with tobacco for a spliff because he can’t smoke anything too strong.

Another mild tiny first step when strides of courage were needed.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

Yawn. Wake me up when it’s legal.

 

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23 COMMENTS

  1. My only hope, yeah a drink hopium to from time to time. But once it’s taxed no one in there right mind could cancel them or look like a hypocrite to both the left and the right. The left because they want harm minimization and the right because they’re just keen on sin taxes.

  2. Well Martyn I am sorry to say – ‘I told you so’. –

    *that jacinda is a ‘timid lamb’ sadly.

    *Not a ‘mover and shaker’.

    *or a transformational leader.

    *or a progressive politician.

    It does not affect me as none of my family uses any drugs except alcohol occasionally.

    Anyway my brain has already been damaged in an unventilated workplace accident in Canada in 1992 and diagnosed with Toxic encephalopathy so I have no capacity for further exposure to any moire chemicals even now today;

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_encephalopathy

    QUOTE;
    “Toxic encephalopathy is a neurologic disorder caused by exposure to neurotoxic organic solvents such as toluene, following exposure.”

      • Really? Winston strung them along all while the tax working group were trying to work out CGT. He could have nipped it in the bud before we spent 100s of thousands on Michael Cullen’s retirement fund.

        All he had to say was “I’ll never approve of a CGT” well beforehand, instead he waited until the release document and debate had markets nervous and at the 11th hour pulled the plug. All so he could be seen as a hero and keeping everyone honest.

    • So far Peters has been steadfast in supporting the referendum

      He may not agree with cannabis legalization but he’s a stickler for democratic referendums to decide contentious issues

      Score 1 for him

      So if Labour backs out of honoring a referendum result that’s it for their re-election chances and Arderns politucal career will be in tatters

      Its the Nats who may not honour the referendum going by Paula Benefit’s comments this morning

      Expect more pressuee on Soimon and Paula Benefit to tell the public where they stand on honoring the refereendum

  4. Spare a thought for the poor old Cops and Court system. How are they supposed to feel, in a limbo state half heartedly having to enforce half assery that nobody gave a shit about since forever? Show some leadership, read the writing on the wall. Get with the curve. Stop embarrassing everyone, get out of the coma.

  5. Shame we did not have a referendum with regards to the CP-TPP. Mind you the new govt moved on that like their backsides were on fire.

    Funny how this by contrast has dragged on and its still not binding.

    Pathetic useless rudderless govt.

  6. It’s the “1975” syndrome. New Zealand is full of a million people who haven’t moved on from when Rumours was released (42 years ago)
    To put this in perspective, it would be the equivalent of the mass of the New Zealand population in 1970 still listening to music from 1928. This is how much time has stood still in New Zealand. We may need to wait 20 years for the vast majority of baby boomers to die off before we see significant change.

  7. Yawn.
    Should any of the coalition be glancing at this, can you please take heed of this post.
    It is 2019 for goodness sake! Can we please have some positive forward thinking and action for once in New Zealand’s life, or are Governments really just good for nothing?

  8. The parties to the current coalition would pass legislation if the referendum is positive – it is National which has not committed to abiding by the result.

  9. This type of attitude pisses me off. If the vote was essentially a landslide pro can’ then I’m certain the govt would listen.

    Articles like this discourage voting. It’s almost like you want things they way they are.

    • LMFAO – Oh come on Z. Imagine if I had emotionally invested in the CGT, or Afghan war criminal victims having a say, or Māori experiences in mental health getting a say or real welfare reform. Imagine the tragedy and horror I would feel realising that this Government had no intention of doing those things?

      You are now asking me to hope they won’t do that with this non binding referendum?

      Look at you with all that emotional capital to spend.

      My cynicism is perfectly well reasoned sweetheart.

  10. When I was a kid living out thar in the bush , some good 40 years ago, and I was 15 …we found a patch with netting over it. One of the other kids took em, and, as country kids do,.. transplanted em around the bush and hoped the possums didn’t eat em ( think Bogor and the ‘dazed and confused’ hedgehog for all you oldies )… I once tried it but it had a bad effect on me… never taken any of that sort of ‘stuff’ since.

    When I was with the ‘alternatives’ , and some ‘house truckies ‘, quite a few decades ago as well , – they had theirs and I had mine , – and mine was alcohol.

    Nothing like a Guinness or Jim Beam or some choice red wines…

    Seriously though, … I believe all plants / herbs have potential industrial and medicinal property’s… and to write it off due to stigma or competition with the booze industry is foolish.

    Useless fact time :

    ‘In Germany during the 16th century , the smoking of tobacco was illegal and punishable by death. Some cite the piousness of the monarchy /govt at the time. The truth would of been that the hemp industry they used for rope, rigging , sails , and general material for household goods would have been threatened… if tobacco gained a foothold. And of course there were ‘fringe benefits’ of keeping the populace compliant happy by plying them with alcohol and certain ‘ by products’ of certain strains of hemp…

    All it needs is a proper regulatory and approved govt taxation system and that would stop the bad boys from illegally making the stuff in ever stronger THC levels. It is an psychoactive drug , … so must be regulated. Otherwise we will have pilots flying jet planes loaded with passengers landing rapidly in the ocean…imagining they are jet fighter pilots landing on an aircraft carrier… I jest.

    America in many states has liberalized and relaxed its laws… and the savings on their health , – and more importantly , – clogging up their penal systems and making criminals out of ordinary citizens would be enormous.

    When I was in hospital ,… they dosed me up with morphine on the maximum adult dosage possible. I know this because my sister, – who spent most of her life as a nurse then charge nurse, was by my side and told me so. That was when I suffered a clogged artery and thus a ‘ heart attack’… and it did bloody NOTHING. Didn’t notice a damn bit of difference !!!.

    NOW ,… a hip flask of fine Jim Beam WOULD HAVE !!!

    That would have hit the spot just nicely !!!.

    It would have relaxed me and made me sleepy and rested.

    I cannot for the life of me understand why people want to shoot , snort or smoke all these things when a good wee dram is already available.

    That’s my two cents worth, – but I do understand some of the issues and that people are all different.

    Anyhow’s,… here’s a song from Ozzie Osbourn and Black Sabbath again… they seem to endorse it… for some reason.

    Black Sabbath Sweet Leaf – YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOFQbTdzKNM

  11. When I was a kid living out thar in the bush , some good 40 years ago, and I was 15 …we found a patch with netting over it. One of the other kids took em, and, as country kids do,.. transplanted em around the bush and hoped the possums didn’t eat em ( think Bogor and the ‘dazed and confused’ hedgehog for all you oldies )… I once tried it but it had a bad effect on me… never taken any of that sort of ‘stuff’ since.

    When I was with the ‘alternatives’ , and some ‘house truckies ‘, quite a few decades ago as well , – they had theirs and I had mine , – and mine was alcohol.

    Nothing like a Guinness or Jim Beam or some choice red wines…

    Seriously though, … I believe all plants / herbs have potential industrial and medicinal property’s… and to write it off due to stigma or competition with the booze industry is foolish.

    Useless fact time :

    ‘In Germany during the 16th century , the smoking of tobacco was illegal and punishable by death. Some cite the piousness of the monarchy /govt at the time. The truth would of been that the hemp industry they used for rope, rigging , sails , and general material for household goods would have been threatened… if tobacco gained a foothold. And of course there were ‘fringe benefits’ of keeping the populace compliant happy by plying them with alcohol and certain ‘ by products’ of certain strains of hemp…

    All it needs is a proper regulatory and approved govt taxation system and that would stop the bad boys from illegally making the stuff in ever stronger THC levels. It is an psychoactive drug , … so must be regulated. Otherwise we will have pilots flying jet planes loaded with passengers landing rapidly in the ocean…imagining they are jet fighter pilots landing on an aircraft carrier… I jest.

    America in many states has liberalized and relaxed its laws… and the savings on their health , – and more importantly , – clogging up their penal systems and making criminals out of ordinary citizens would be enormous.

    When I was in hospital ,… they dosed me up with morphine on the maximum adult dosage possible. I know this because my sister, – who spent most of her life as a nurse then charge nurse, was by my side and told me so. That was when I suffered a clogged artery and thus a ‘ heart attack’… and it did bloody NOTHING. Didn’t notice a damn bit of difference !!!.

    NOW ,… a hip flask of fine Jim Beam WOULD HAVE !!!

    That would have hit the spot just nicely !!!.

    It would have relaxed me and made me sleepy and rested.

    I cannot for the life of me understand why people want to shoot , snort or smoke all these things when a good wee dram is already available.

    That’s my two cents worth, – but I do understand some of the issues and that people are all different.

    Anyhow’s,… here’s a song from Ozzie Osbourn and Black Sabbath again… they seem to endorse it… for some reason.

    Black Sabbath Sweet Leaf – YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOFQbTdzKNM

  13. I think we need to wait for the NZ people to speak and go from there. The way some people l are talking is like the world is going to end.

  14. If the vast majority of Boomers vote for cannabis to stay illegal, the vote being non-binding might be a good thing .. DON’T YOU THINK !??

    In my opinion the government should just legalize .. nobody want’s to speed the next 1.5 years having this toxic debate .. THEN The Aftermath!

    I’d probably vote Labour if they legalized before the election, otherwise I’ll be voting TOP and ALCP. Doubt any cannabis smokers OR renters will be voting National.

    All National has is a bunch of brainwashed Boomers.

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