The cannabis issue

John Bishop’s ( Science unsettled, Sept 17), on the cannabis referendum, is based on a deliberate,Trump-style falsehood, misrepresenting promoters of the proposed legislation.

He focuses on the science of the health effects of cannabis use being unsettled, which of course is not only true but obvious to all. His mischief is at the start where he falsely asserts that the referendumbackers claim cannabis ‘‘is a ‘good’ drug to have in the community’’. No-one promoting the legislation is claiming that.

Everyonewith an iota of sense understands cannabis, like alcohol, is a serious community problem. The issue is whether to dealwith

this problem as a criminal issue or a health and education issue.

Jailing, or convicting, thousands of mostly brown people every year for cannabis offences is not just insidious, institutionalised racism, it is hugely damaging for individuals and costly to our society.

Treating the problem as a health-education issue is what the referendum is about and deliberate obfuscation, by diverting the debate down the path of the unsettled science, is not just deeply unhelpful, but will serve to keep Aotearoa with a disproportionate number of Ma¯ori behind bars and marginalised in society.

Simon Louisson, Seatoun

‘‘The Pike River mine tunnel reentry cost doubles to over $50m as of, 18 March 2020’’, according to news reports. This is ludicrous.

Is it the squeaky wheel gets the most oil?

Karl Oliver, Lower Hutt