Call for rethink of NZ’s drug law

Criminal penalties for the possession, use and social supply of all drugs - not just cannabis - should be scrapped, the Drug Foundation has proposed.

It announced the policy yesterday at its Parliamentary symposium, also calling for a strictly regulated cannabis market and more resources for prevention, education and treatment.

Current laws were making criminals out of people when harmful drug use needed to be treated as a health issue, said policy author Kali Mercier.

Under the Drug Foundation’s policy, the commercial supply and trafficking of drugs would still be punished, but people who were caught with drugs for their own use would not face penalties.

It was similar to the Portugal model, which the foundation said had produced early positive evidence of reduced drug use.

Under the foundation’s model, if police found a person in possession of drugs, they would issue a ‘‘mandatory caution’’ and also give that person health information and legal advice.

‘‘After one, two or three cautions (depending on the drug), the person would be required to attend a brief intervention session run by a community alcohol and drug treatment service.’’

Speaking separately to the symposium, Prime Minister Bill English said he supported ongoing discussions, but the Government had no plans to decriminalise or relax drug laws.