In association with our friends at Hues of Green, we will put forward several reasons why New Zealand should legalize cannabis.
The emerging worldwide cannabis industry should be viewed, in principle, similarly to the aviation and 3D printing industries. When both of these sectors were new, they were both viewed as cutting-edge and exciting.
Eventually, both industries were recognized for their practical applications and spawned entirely new ancillary products and services to support aviation and 3D printing.
Cannabis is much the same; while cannabis is a new and exciting prospect right now, the true potential of cannabis as a medicine, safe recreational substance, and even as materials (such as paper and rope) has yet to be realized. Once this happens, the cannabis industry will take its rightful place alongside successful worldwide commercial sectors.
All sources, and further reading, can be found at the conclusion of this article.
Why New Zealand Should Legalize Cannabis: Job Opportunities for Many
The cannabis industry will need several thousand workers across New Zealand to function in a safe and efficient manner.
New Zealand has a long history of innovation – it will not be long before new cannabis technology is developed in this nation of ingenuity that punches far above its weight on the world stage. Growing technology will be one specific area in which New Zealanders will thrive.
Even the environment in New Zealand is well-suited for outdoor cannabis, with some areas in the North and South Island able to grow cannabis or hemp almost year-round. Job creation will be swift and benefit many. An example of the quick benefits seen from cannabis legalization is the fact that the cannabis industry accounts for over $8 billion of Canada’s national GDP.
Cannabis crops can also allow for a more sustainable farming model, incredibly important for a country that prides itself on a pure and green image.
Why New Zealand Should Legalize Cannabis: Medical Patients Will Benefit
In North America, there have been several studies published that indicate cannabis is a helpful tool for those with chronic pain and helps to reduce opioid use and dependance. While New Zealand has nowhere near the level of opiod addiciton in North America, these statistics are still helpful and show a relationship between cannabis use and a decline in opioid (and other illicit drug) dependance.
Specifically in New Zealand, cannabis could be used to wean some addicts off of methamphetamine, which is the biggest illicit drug problem in the country today.
As seen in a study from Vancouver, Canada, 64% and 63% of users claimed they would reduce their use for cocaine and methamphetamines when having access to cannabis. 70% of the people within this study indicated they were able to reduce their opioid usage. This is just one recent study and several more can be found below.
Less seriously, cannabis is a helpful remedy for many common aches and pains, and even some mental health issues can benefit from cannabis rather than pharmaceutical medicine. There are several studies listed below that show a positive relationship between pain management and cannabis.
Cannabis is also being prescribed for sleep disorders in countries where it is legal. Medical literature suggests cannabis (specifically CBD) may have a true therapeutic use in terms on sleep disorders.
Why New Zealand Should Legalize Cannabis: Tourism
Cannabis tourism doesn’t just mean an ‘Amsterdam-style’ cafe, far from it.
Cannabis tourism can include grow operation visits, cannabis cooking classes, educational sessions, and many more types of activities. New Zealand (pre-Covid 19) had a robust tourism sector that is only going to grow exponentially if cannabis is legalized.
Even Trans-Tasman tourism (Australia to New Zealand) will grow substantially due to the fact that cannabis will remain illegal in many parts of Australia for at least the near future.
More tourism = more job opportunities. Restaurants, hotels, and many other businesses will also see their customer base grow through increased tourism.
Final Thoughts
Why waste this opportunity? If you are a New Zealander, vote YES in the upcoming cannabis referendum.
The stigma around cannabis is slowly changing and New Zealand is one of the most progressive and free-thinking countries in the entire world.
If you are in New Zealand and would like more information about cannabis, please contact our friends at Hues of Green through their website or Facebook page.
Thank you for reading “Why New Zealand Should Legalize Cannabis”. Sharing this on social media by using the icons below helps us to reach cannabis consumers across the world.
Further Reading/Sources:
- Babson, K, A. Sottile, J. & Morabito, D. (2017). Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature (2014-2017).
- Bloomberg, BNN. (2019). Cannabis Canada: Pot Industry Adds $8.26 Billion to Canada’s GDP.
- Hurd. (2015). Early Phase in the Development of Cannabidiol as a Treatment for Addiction: Opioid Relapse Takes Initial Center Stage. Neurotherapeutics.
- Medical Cannabis Network. (2019). Cannabis Use as a Tool in the Harm Reduction of Opioid Use: A Canadian Perspective.
- Powell. (2018). Do Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Addictions and Deaths Related to Pain Killers? Journal of Health Economics.
- Russo E. B. (2019). The Case for the Entourage Effect and Conventional Breeding of Clinical Cannabis: No “Strain,” No Gain. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9.
- Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019). Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. The Permanente Journal. Issue 23.
- Wiese & Wilson-Poe. (2018). Emerging Evidence for Cannabis Role in Opioid Use Disorder. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.