Majority don’t support cannabis legalisation – new poll
The latest poll shows that most voters do not want recreational cannabis to be legalised.
The result, from the 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll, showed that 52 per cent opposed legalisation, while 39 per cent favoured legalisation; 8 per cent did not know and 1 per cent said they would not vote.
It contrasts to other recent polls that showed majority support for legalisation, including last month when 52 per cent of those surveyed said in a Horizon poll that they would vote to legalise, while 37 per cent said they would vote ‘no’.
Officials are currently putting together a draft bill that will outline a proposed regulatory regime for legal cannabis, which will then be put to the public in a vote at the 2020 election.
It’s a non-binding referendum with a confusingly unclear question that has been handicapped by a lack of clear leadership in Parliament.
Hosking has attacked Chloe in his latest show and it came across the way you thought it would, like a Fox News host attacking a handcuffed infant with a machete.
Chloe turned up to have a sensible discussion, Mike turned up to put a sleeping kitten into a blender.
If you pick a fight with a dirty fighter, you don’t turn up to box Queensberry Rules.
For the record Mike Hosking, you fucking moron, the increase in Colorado drivers crashing with cannabis in their system DOESN’T MEAN they were impaired, it means they had a joint in the last 6 weeks. Your inability to differentiate that shows you have a, shallow Talkback Radio Host level of understanding which is extraordinary when you are claiming to be ‘winning’ the argument. You mean propagating lies, falsehoods and ignorance as information.
That’s ‘winning’ is it you arsehole?
This one sided fight sums up how the cannabis referendum has so far been managed and why it might be slipping away.
There needs to be some bold leadership on this, because even supporters of cannabis reform are falling asleep.
The problem is that anyone who speaks out in support of recreational cannabis use is putting a target on their back for the police, employers and others to fire at.
Imagine if you write a letter paper to the paper supporting legalisation of cannabis and your your boss reads it – what are they going to think about you using an illegal substance?
It’s like to people fighting and one has every weapon in the book, while they other has their hands tied behind their back.
The only hope is the people who support legalisation vote yes in this anonymous poll that is the referendum.
EP, the comment re lack of clear leadership from the government. encapsulates all that is wrong about this issue, hence we getting these unnecessarily polarised extremes, and the blame for that lies squarely with the coalition govt.
I don’t have strong views one way or the other, but nor do I want to see remarkable women like Helen Kelly relieving her death bed pain by having to use an illicit substance. It is both absurd, and exceedingly cruel.
If people like Mike Hosking are not confident that their children will grow up to be mature socially responsible adults, then that’s for Hosking to address, and no-one should be just assuming that changes in the law will enable Hosking’s and other people’s kids to behave like idiots.
I know there is reputable evidence about the development of psychoses with immature marijuana use; it happened years ago, when it was much less strong than it is now, to the adolescent son of a neighbour.
Obviously there need to be legal guidelines about the use of marijuana, and this is where the govt has been irresponsible in allowing an ill-informed public debate to gather momentum- and that may be precisely what they want.
Not only would I assume that the police should be able to eg test drivers for other performance-effecting substances besides alcohol,
I think that they should be doing so right now, but I don’t know if they are.
Given that there are major mind-altering substances available among criminal and anti-social groups, then I think that we the public are being let down by the govt if they have decided to limit driver testing to alcohol only. It creates occasions of danger for innocent people.
I liked your comment about writing letters to the paper – I have at times supported things I wouldn’t do myself, and some workplaces provide pitfalls every time one opens one’s mouth, and c’est la vie.
I know nothing about the origins of the marijuana referendum, but the outcome will likely be determined by the wording of the referendum itself, and that will be determined by who knows ?
I read Hosking’s intemperate attack on Chloe – with guilt. As one of the many thousands of NZ’ers who signed the petition to have Mike Hosking banished, I now think that we may have done the wrong thing, and helped entrench Hosking as a tiresome public prick.
That so many people objected to Hoskings, showed his masters/mistresses that he was worth his weight in pieces of silver, because lowest common denominator shit-stirring is the life plasma of the media. Think we’d still be getting junk mail if there weren’t people who actually read it?
The whole cannabis reform issue is irritating, because it has probably already been captured by Pharmac, and because police resources get spent on life-stylers growing weed, when we should be mercilessly crucifying the manufacturers and importers of the synthetics which destroy people – and turns them into criminals and real-life monsters themselves.
+100…well said
” . . . . we should be mercilessly crucifying the manufacturers and importers of the synthetics which destroy people – and turns them into criminals and real-life monsters themselves”
You are so utterly, utterly right.
This would be a more useful, if less dramatic “ChCh call” for Jacinda to make.
Point blank, the problem is the media spreading their alternative facts about cannabis and seem quite happy having reefer madness religious nutjobs as guests to spout their BS.
Users however are getting ignored completely. They are the sector with the experience, yet instead they get ridiculed.
Its an unbalanced playing field, ever journalist wannabe is jumping on the ‘lets hate on cannabis’ bandwagon but none of them want to align it to alcohol which causes far more harm to society yet gets completely ignored yet cannabis has to have all these stringent rules and regulations to deal with a miniscule amount of harm. This is just crazy.
The hyperbole isn’t helping – the debate has hardly started as yet, and people like Hosking & McCrosky can make all the noise they want now because they will not be able to sustain a misinformation campaign for the next 18 months…
The question people like Hosking need to ask themselves is this:
Stats show 80% of people have tried cannabis by age 21.
https://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/info/drug-index/cannabis/
So if one of Hoskings kids, or his niece or nephew is caught with some pot, what would they prefer? Have their kid dragged through the courts, receiving a conviction and fine, and never be able to travel to some countries. Or treat it as a health issue, assess the use and apply an appropriate health based model going forwards?
According to the current law 80% of 21 year olds should be arrested.
What a ridiculous situation… hard to tell whether Hosking & McCroskie have their head in the sand or just stuck up their own butt. Maybe both…
The Government has already sabotaged the debate with the Transport Agency’s ridiculous “funny” stigmatizing misrepresenting prejudicial false flag pot smoker car crash ads
Who knows how messed up the average driver out there is on antidepressants and other prescription drugs that are sedating
Chloe was found to be wanting! Mike was all over her and her idealistic la la Land thoughts.
The “”save the gay Maori whale” leftie lunatic minority on this site will regret their dumb ideas when they eventually grow up and get some real life experience.
You bubble will soon burst when you’re children are hit by a stoned driver…. Probably your mate.
World Guru, if you are putting your mind to the gender relationships of whales, then perhaps you should consider seeing a counselor. You may qualify for ACC counselling, if something traumatic happened to you which has made the gender identity of whales important to you.
There is absolutely nothing wrong in being concerned about whales or any other form of life. On the contrary we should all be.
But when you start wondering about their sex lives, then it could be considered just a little bit obsessive, and it may help you to have a chat with someone about it. And good luck.
(Try to polish up your grammar too, and stop using mixed metaphors if poss.)
Lol !
64% of NZ suicide victims were found to have alcohol in their blood now have we banned alcohol, no! we are issuing more liquor licences instead.
I’m not so worried about the stoned driver more the arrogant, egotistical moron drivers like this one…
“Since joining Hampton Downs and taking my car round a track at 220km/h I have not crashed, will not crash, and have concluded I am vastly less likely to be in trouble on a track than I am on a road. Why? Because there are no idiots.” Mike Hosking
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/102974035/mike-hosking-crashes-140k-alfa-romeo-days-after-saying-crashes-are-idiotrelated
I guess what I’m saying World Guru is that an idiot’s( Hosking) more harm than a stoned driver.
I’m afraid Hosking was owned by Chloe because she came with evidence, not arrogance, bravo or sexism.
She lost the argument in the very first minute. Claiming straight from the offset. First she claimed not to be pro marijuana, and then a few seconds later claiming that she is trying to sell her policy.
If she wasn’t pro dope, then why should she care if it passes or not?
To reduce harm my little worry wort.
What a slimy lowlife, wishing death upon children. Crawl back under your rock “guru”
This debate is going the same way as the CGT. The government apart from Swarbrick, are letting opposition interest groups and opponents in general control the narrative around this issue. I have no doubt that the referendum will be voted down by the NZ public,as this is still a fairly conservative country. Why does this government continue to stay on the stool, instead of getting off it and start swinging for policies they supposedly believe in?
That would play straight into National’s hands who would then frame this covert coalition policy, which would get NZF twitchy.
Greens pretty much have to go it alone – what would be helpful is if some non-political types came out loudly in support. Lucy Lawless? An ex All Black or two? Josh Kronfeld? Brian Turner?
Don Brash – he may not advocate openly now – but he needs to be referenced more.
World Guru you have entirely missed the point. Chloe was not found to be wanting – it was Hosking who showed his true colours, yet again, and because he was found wanting, decided to attack Chloe about being young and not having children. How moronically pathetic is that? The sign of an ageist struggling for oxygen. Chloe stood up to a very unpleasant person and did so professionally, which is something Hosking can’t do – be professional that is. He appeals to the parched and arid minds of the brainwashed who cannot think for themselves.
Anyway, back to you. Where do you get the “save the gay Maori whale” idea from? Quite apart from the fact that it identifies you as unintelligent, it also shows you to be everything that is antithetical to the modern thinking inclusive generation of people.
Many of the people you refer to as the leftie lunatic minority who need to grow and get some real life experience are grown up and do have real life experiences hence their intelligent responses. The humorous thing about your comment is shows you up as narrow-minded and someone who barks at their own reflection in the mirror.
The issue of cannabis reform in this country is a valid issue and I accept that it can be polarising but you need to put up an evidence based argument if you expect to be listened to. Moby Dick has summed it up better and more concisely than what I have done so if you want to disregard me at least take on board what Moby Dick has said – it is spot on.
Well actually,Youngsuffrajet, I didn’t mention World Guru’s assumption that whales are Maori. Or that gay whales are Maori.
I really don’t want to start anything racist here, but if WG is implying that Pakeha whales are all hetero, then I am utterly flummoxed as to how gay Maori whales reproduce without underwater IVF, or having to go against their nature and have congress with Pakeha whales, which raises questions of eugenics about which, like so much, I know nothing.
Whether the Japanese slaughtering whales in the southern oceans are killing Maori or Pakeha whales is also the sort of vexing question which could trigger an international incident, and what about the Inuit ?
Implicit in WG’s gay whale comment, is the suggestion that non-straight whales should be differentiated from straight whales, and I find that unacceptable, especially when whales are unable to speak for themselves.
So, because I am not a gay Maori whale myself, I suggest that
WG seeks counseling, rather than cast aspersions on harmless mammals who have enough to worry about already as they swim about their daily lives.
Sorry, I respect Chloe, but she came across as an idealistic 4th former with absolutely no skin in the game and a sense of utopian ego that maad her look silly.
Every time a fact was mentioned, she would claim that that fact had be debunked. By who? Her? She was even trying to rubbish the opinion of the head of the UK NHS? I know who I would believe, and it’s not a ‘wet behind the ears’ list MP
Congrats to her to getting this to a referendum, but she’s not the person to head the campaign, as she even said she’s not pro marijuana
The change in poll results is becaue National, via Paula Bennett, has turned this into a political issue where National voters are being encouraged to oppose it.
It would be appropriate if those supporting change, noted National’s approach and called for supporters to not vote National when they turn up for the referendum vote.
It always has been a political issue. The Greens only want this referendum because they hope more dope smokers will get off their asses on election day
Except that decision to hold the referendum vote with the election was completely separate to the rationale for a referendum.
Actually, your cheap shot is risible.
Which has probably been done on purpose. There are several industries that would go under (or at least be under considerable stress) if cannabis was legalised.
Cannabis Sativa makes softer, stronger cloth than cotton
There’s a whole wealth of drugs that can be made from the ingredients that it provides.
Plastics can also be made from it.
And the fibres for composite strengthening.
We just have to look at the years long corruption in the US that got cannabis criminalised.
As long as the above is true we won’t see leadership from parliament for legalisation of cannabis – they don’t want to upset their sponsors.
1. Chloe said she has seen the damage cannabis has caused.
2. She wants to make it legal so people can access help openly.
3. Her approach is based on solid public health research.
3. We have just put 1.9 billion over five years into mental health and addiction services on top of $??? already.
4. I noted several years ago that one DHB put more money into activity based day programmes for addicts than the whole regions’ primary maternity units.
Alcohol and drug addiction has a huge cost at every level. We just dont have enough clinical psychologists to cope. Who are we NZ?
Bunch of absolute pissheads and crackheads by the look of it Chloe.
Wouldn’t lose any sleep over Hoskings and msm generally. Most weedy supporters don’t know who he is and certainly wouldn’t watch and/or listen to him, and them either. As usual it’s the oldies kicking up all the stink, who cares what they think. They will be out voted on this one for sure. It might just be the best fuck you of all time. Can’t wait.
I say : Give Drugs a Chance.
There are two diverse and ironic problems here.
Firstly , there are those who will rely on getting a few dollars from growing and selling pot. Back in the early 1980’s many, many people I knew of where growing pot to buy stuff and things. Post 1984, it was to pay for electricity, the phone bill and groceries. AND! AND They were white people! I know!? White people smoke, grow and sell pot too! Amazing.
Pot growers are the very last people who will want pot decriminalised. Because criminalised pot is #A Fun. and #B Can get a decent return for effort invested.
The second problem is that pot’s illegal.( See above for irony.) I mean, how fucking stupid. And that stupidity is only eclipsed by the gargantuan brainlessness of peddling booze in front of kids and me. Right there! By the cheeses! Jesus!
Ever had a booze hangover? Shit yourself while vomiting have you? Vomited up blood? Go you! Get into a drunken brawl and get hurt or have hurt someone else? The list goes on doesn’t it?
Pot? Ever smoked too much pot? I have. I got motion sickness because pot is a basal dilator. It creates an unequal pressure in each ustation tube in the ear and the wrong message is sent to the brain and the brain says WTF!? What’s going on!? Better empty the guts and lie the carcass down. Quick!
So, I lay down on the front lawn of a friends house and immediately felt perfectly fine. Except I couldn’t move an inch. It was dark, late and damp and luckily, I had a thick leather jacket on. I lay there for what seemed like ages then I heard a bizarre sound! It sounded like an actual steam train chuffing along… What the fuck is that! Every time I moved? I felt a terrible wave of nusea so I had to lie there and listen to that terrible chuff-chuff-chuff…. Getting closer and closer and closer ! !! ! ! ! ! !
It was a fucking headgehog! A big ol buck hedgehog heading to the meeting grounds for a feed, a fight and a fuck! It sidled over to my face, stopped short of nose-fucking me, I knew what it was thinking! It waved its damp little nose about as it eyed up my nostrils with its beady little perv eyes then chuffed off into the garden.
Banning any and all drugs by Banny Ban-face Mc Banners is only tollerated by those of us robbed of our ability to move a muscle.
You want nose-fucked by Mike ‘The Mouse’ Hoskings? Great! Let him! If he can just walk right up to Chloe Swarbrick and be rude, condecending and arrogant with such a cool kid? Let him go for it. If we’re gutless, passionless, ignorant, greedy, lazy, useless, fucks, that is. If were not those unfortunate things, however…. We should find wee mike and have a chat.
God help those of us well used to being treated like morons for the profit of those masters who’re used to having mining rights to your pocketses.
God help those who feint at the sight of happy,laughing people on a sunny day or who openly hug and kiss and hold hands outside the marital bed of a cold, windswept Southland winters evening?
God help those with a ‘muds of the world’ collection.
Can’t be having any of that love, open mindedness and protections from the lunatics who psychologically oppress us for our money carry-on.
Portugal. Like Balclutha. Same-same. But different. Very, very, very different.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it
mike? I’m bound to bump into you in Auckland sometime. Better have your Gore on little man.
When I refer to that performance as ‘vintage Hosking’ I of course mean it in every negative way possible. He was aggressive though, Chloe needed to give his argument a kick in the nuts and be more forceful about things like this:
“For the record Mike Hosking, you fucking moron, the increase in Colorado drivers crashing with cannabis in their system DOESN’T MEAN they were impaired, it means they had a joint in the last 6 weeks. Your inability to differentiate that shows you have a, shallow Talkback Radio Host level of understanding which is extraordinary when you are claiming to be ‘winning’ the argument. You mean propagating lies, falsehoods and ignorance as information.”
That is how she should have handled it instead of being a milquetoast. I like her, but I’d like her better if she’d given him a taste of his own medicine.
Again… it’s nearly 2020!
It should have been legal at least 20 years ago.
Talk about the wrath of the boomers, but as Greenbus points out, their days are numbered.
Yes, all the way.
‘The Media’ – what does that mean? News Hub, One News, News Talk ZB? What a bunch of thickos, tuning in to received their daily programming.
RNZ, interest, newsroom and Parliament TV are bad enough .. who would lower themselves to News Talk ZB?
Every 3 months I do call talk-back-radio, in a selfless act of charity and compassion of course. I figure the dribbling, poor, elderly souls, strapped into place by their rest home restraints my enjoy a brake ..
Clearly demented Debbie down the hall has gotten loose and found the one remaining payphone in New Zealand, she’s desperate to tell her home-made jam story, which turns into marmalade, then advice on how to recycle old socks.
Charter schools are clearly the way forward.
Is decriminalization the golden mean here? That way nobody gets a criminal record for growing their own or sharing with friends, but we don’t get another huge legal drug industry pushing their wares at vulnerable young people – the risk that some see in full legalization of cannabis.
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