P arrests to overtake cannabis in NZ courts

New Zealand’s most notorious drug, methamphetamine, is on the verge of overtaking cannabis to become the number one offender in our court system.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice show there were 6377 meth cases before the courts in the year to June 30, 2017 compared with 6899 cannabis cases.

If the trend continues, the following 12-month period will see more people before the courts for P than for cannabis, making the highly-addictive drug easily the most-prolific substance clogging up the justice system.

Police have been approached for comment to explain why they think meth cases are on the rise and whether they have shifted their focus from cannabis to meth. They are yet to respond.

Nigel Fairley, from Capital & Coast District Health Board, which runs Community Alcohol and Other Drug Service (CADS), said it did not record numbers for specific drugs. But while methamphetamine was not necessarily the primary drug people were being treated for, the service had seen an increase in cases.

CADS’ clients had said methamphetamine was now more available.

‘‘These cases are often harder to deal with than cannabis cases as psychosis is more prevalent with methamphetamine dependence,’’ Fairley said.

‘‘Clients can be more aggressive and chaotic, and the drug can be associated with physical harms, whereas cannabis has less impact on people’s day-to-day functioning and users generally do not require rehabilitation.

‘‘The level of dysfunction caused by methamphetamine dependence, which is different from use, requires significantly more intervention than cannabis dependence, meaning more time and cost would be involved.’’

Drugs were used across all of society but it was Ma¯ori, minority and lowersocioeconomic groups who were hardest-hit by the meth problem, Fairley said.

‘‘A large proportion of the people who present with methamphetamine use have significant mental health problems, though this is not peculiar to methamphetamine users and is similar for all drug use.’’

In Southland the number of people convicted for importing, dealing, manufacturing or possessing methamphetamine, or drug utensil offences has increased from three offenders in 2012-2013 to 29 offenders in the 2016-2017.

Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said a new approach was needed with Kiwis being some of the biggest meth users in the world.

When the issue was tackled only through law enforcement and the criminal justice system, courts got clogged up, Bell said.

‘‘If you talk to cops they say you can’t arrest your way out of this problem.’’

Bell praised police for trialling new referral and treatment options for meth users and their wha¯nau, which had been piloted in Northland.

‘‘How can we keep users out of the criminal justice system, out of court and out of prison to get them the help they need?’’

Manufacturing, importing, dealing or possession for supply of meth – a Class-A drug – can lead to a life sentence.

Possession of five grams of methamphetamine (a tablespoon) is enough to warrant a conviction for possession for supply.