Marijuana Media: Your cannabis-based voting guide!

Kia ora! Your information to cannabis-based voting within the election, plus hashish has a waste downside, smelly tennis and extra, this week on Marijuana Media on 95bFM with hosts Jonny and Corey from bFM Drive and Chris Fowlie from NORML – because of The Hempstore!

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Hashish-based voting within the election

This week was the final day of parliament, and abroad voting begins in lower than a month forward of polling day on 14 October.

Radio New Zealand has produced a information to occasion coverage however, up to now, the one point out of hashish there may be from the Greens: “regulate private use of hashish”.

A brand new coverage information from Curiosity.co.nz summarises the Greens coverage, with Chloe as spokesperson, and in addition reveals ACT, Labour, Nationwide, NZ First, Te Pāti Māori and TOP all with coverage “Not but obtainable on their web site.”

The shortage of hashish or medication insurance policies from events aside from The Greens, at 30 August 2023.

Neither information contains the Aotearoa Legalise Hashish Get together, which is commonly displaying at 1 per cent in polls, across the identical as TOP, the New Conservatives and Freedoms NZ. For that 1 per cent (no less than) hashish is the highest problem.

Always remember the 49% who voted Sure to a totally authorized regulated and taxed hashish market – and an excellent greater proportion of Labour and Inexperienced voters need change. Lots of the Nope backers and voters say they might have supported decriminalisation, however nobody has moved to make even that occur. So, what to do?

To guard the reforms now we have bought, and preserve transferring in that course, conscientious hashish shoppers ought to vote for candidates and events who won’t take us backwards. Their occasion web sites could keep away from mentioning hashish, however their spokespeople carry on speaking and generally they’re really price listening to.

Pharmacy Right this moment has lined a debate, MC’d by RNZ journalist Guyon Espiner, held on Monday evening at Wellington Faculty which featured spokespeople for all the most important events discussing psychological well being and drug legislation reform. Drawing on that, an ODT article from final 12 months (the place political events stand on medication), and NORML’s “Toke The Vote 2020” information, here’s what we all know.

Presenting our 2023 Information to Political Get together Pot Insurance policies

Inexperienced Get together: ★★★★★ The rational vote. The Greens pushed hardest for medicinal hashish, bought us the referendum, the one parliamentarian actively advocating for change is Chloe Swarbrick, and the Greens are the one main occasion that really has a medicine coverage. The Inexperienced Get together 2023 drug legislation reform coverage (“A wholesome strategy to alcohol and different medication”) says:

Repeal and substitute the Misuse of Medicine Act 1975 with an evidence-based strategy, which reduces hurt and treats drug use as a well being problem.

Regulate the private use of hashish to minimise the chance of hurt to customers, their whānau, and communities. It will embrace tight restrictions on promoting and the situation of stores.

Enhance the framework for medicinal hashish and create a brand new framework for trials of therapeutic makes use of of different managed substances akin to psychedelics.

That is all nice stuff. Whereas there isn’t a point out of decriminalising all medication, the reference to stores suggests “regulate private use of hashish” means full legalisation of hashish (one thing just like the referendum mannequin).

The total Inexperienced Get together drug legislation reform coverage 2016-2023, which spells out it additionally contains house cultivation of hashish and expunges prison convictions, says underneath their coverage “Proof from abroad jurisdictions with authorized hashish markets is assessed to find out which mannequin finest minimises hurt”.

Within the Pharmacy Right this moment article, Events go face to face on psychological well being, Greens spokesperson Chloe Swarbrick advocates a constant and evidence-based strategy to managing all medication, together with alcohol, and mentioned they might repeal and substitute the Misuse of Medicine Act 1975 and take away the revenue motive from these substances.

ALCP: ★★★★★ The protest vote. As a co-founder of the Aotearoa Legalise Hashish Get together again in 1996 they are going to all the time have a spot in my coronary heart, and ticking the leaf on the poll sends a message that that is your primary problem. However realistically, have they got any likelihood of getting to five%?

TOP: ★★★★★? The principled vote. Final election TOP had probably the very best hashish coverage on supply. In 2023 they advocate regulating hashish like alcohol, with this on the TOP web site, underneath “legislation and order”:

Legalise, regulate and tax the sale and provide of hashish, by incorporating it into the Sale and Provide of Alcohol Act 2012, and take away hashish from the Misuse of Medicine Act 1975.

Te Pāti Māori: ★★★★? The unknown vote. No written coverage but, however Te Pāti Māori informed the Otago Every day Occasions they help the decriminalisation of all medication, would “wipe the slate on all low-level drug convictions”, and allow medical professionals to prescribe sure illicit medication as a part of dependancy remedy programmes. They are saying “Our present drug legal guidelines are solely match for function if that function is to proceed to oppress and imprison tangata whenua.”

Labour: ★★★ The smart vote. Made medicinal hashish authorized, kick-started native manufacturing and licensed cultivation, licensed substance checking providers, and introduced in police discretion resulting in an enormous discount in arrests (though the remaining arrests proceed to be biased towards Māori). Any additional progress will most likely require a Labour-led Authorities. They nonetheless get factors off for Jacinda Ardern not voicing her help for a Sure vote, and for not progressing decriminalisation since then. On the Wellington debate, Labour’s Dr Verrall mentioned:

Labour wouldn’t be making any additional strikes in the direction of decriminalisation of medication however its recommendation to prosecutors to train discretion in these instances stays in place.

NZ First: ★★ The contrarian vote. Winston’s occasion insisted on the hashish referendum relatively than direct legislation reform – and we nonetheless don’t know the way he voted.

Nationwide: ★ The prohibitionist vote. Former chief Judith Collins instructed all Nationwide MPs to solid their private votes towards the hashish referendum. They block voted towards medicinal hashish. Don’t overlook Nationwide mentioned they might not assure passing the Referendum Invoice, even when a majority had voted Sure.

However this week, within the Pharmacy Right this moment article, Nationwide’s Matt Doocey helps decriminalisation however not legalisation of medication, including some individuals want a “line within the sand” to know a behaviour is flawed.

It’s progress that they’re saying this stuff in any respect. However these are private views – not Nationwide Get together coverage. And as Russell Brown identified on a Fb publish I used to be tagged into:

The Nationwide Get together has opposed each single drug reform measure to return up for a vote prior to now six years. The Parliamentary occasion is essentially the most conservative it’s been in a long time. Matt Doocey is on the extra rational facet personally, however no, they don’t seem to be going to immediately reverse course and be drug reformers.

Russell additional warned we must always hope that if Nationwide lead the following authorities, they received’t reverse the substance checking laws or ban the prescription of hashish flower. “having carried on like each these issues had been the top of the world once they had been legislated.”

UPDATE: Matt Doocey was misquoted. A video of the talk now on-line seems to point out Doocey opposing each decriminalisation and legalisation of hashish – true to earlier Nationwide Get together positions.

ACT: ★★ The hypocritical vote. Libertarians and freedom lovers must be champions of drug legislation reform, and ACT informed the Otago Every day Occasions: “ACT supported having a referendum on hashish legislation reform. Most ACT MPs voted sure. We’re sceptical about prohibition usually and don’t imagine it has been a profitable coverage on medication.”

However ACT seldom point out it and don’t do something about it. Except for Simon Court docket’s revelation of being shot over hashish as a youngster, and Seymour’s confession he had tried the Satan’s Lettuce, ACT has no official medication coverage. However in response to Pharmacy Right this moment, on the Wellington debate this week ACT’s deputy chief Brooke van Velden:

supported decriminalising drug customers and offering them dependancy help providers however cracking down on drug suppliers. She was towards Ms Swarbricks’ proposal to ban promoting of alcohol as a result of “individuals must have free alternative”.

For extra, take heed to the Marijuana Media pot-cast:

In different information…

Auckland College researchers tackling medicinal hashish trade’s waste downside

College of Auckland researchers say they’ve discovered a sustainable resolution to assist deal with the medicinal hashish trade’s waste downside, which incorporates tons of unused plant matter, cultivation trimmings, discarded extraction chemical compounds and trashed testing samples.

Medicinal hashish has very strict guidelines and, in my expertise with Zeacann, each scrap should be accounted for. It is advisable design a safe and compliant waste removing and destruction process. We used an autoclave, then safe incineration with medical waste. Others use composting. Rather a lot goes to landfill.

The NZ Herald report, ‘Weed to Gold’, mentioned the brand new course of entails “destroying energetic cannabinoids from the waste after which turning the fabric into strong or liquid fertiliser that can be utilized to assist develop new hashish vegetation.”

Analysis lead Affiliate Professor Saeid Baroutian mentioned “It’s an ideal instance of bringing the round financial system to the medicinal hashish sector.” From the press launch:

Beneath excessive temperature and stress, the fabric in hashish vegetation undergo a chemical transformation course of that converts the moist plant waste right into a darkish, crumbly and dry substance that appears like charcoal. This strong product is named “hydrochar” however in contrast to charcoal or coal, it’s not dangerous to the surroundings. It’s carbon and nutrient-rich and will be added to soil to enhance fertility and water retention for higher hashish plant development. The liquid product from the method can also be wealthy in solubilised carbon and useful vitamins like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which will be recovered and used as a biofertiliser to assist hashish vegetation develop more healthy and quicker.

Hashish creates a stink on the US Open

1News additionally reported this week the US tennis open is smelling like “Snoop Dogg’s lounge”. Court docket 17, specifically, has turn into infamous amongst gamers lately for the distinctive, pungent odour of excellent hashish. This time the US Tennis Affiliation performed its personal investigation to weed out the supply of the scent and located it was coming from close by Corona Park, simply outdoors the gates of the tennis stadium.

It’s now authorized in New York for adults 21 and older to own as much as three ounces of hashish and as much as 24 grams of concentrates, and to smoke or vape hashish wherever smoking tobacco is allowed.

In line with the report, safety staffer Rojas mentioned hashish odours have turn into an inescapable truth of life. “Flip each nook and also you scent it. It’s a part of our world now. You’ve bought to get used to it.” He would inform gamers who complain “Attempt it. … It would enable you chill out.”

Monetary providers denied to authorized hemp and medicinal hashish companies: The closure of one other Purchase-Now-Pay-Later scheme has impacted the affordability of authorized medicinal hashish by means of two of Aotearoa’s largest suppliers, CannaPlus+ clinic and Nga Hua Pharmacy. In line with a latest report on Newsroom, HealthNow – which is defunct now – was one of many few lay purchase schemes obtainable to the sector.

Hashish companies, together with authorized hemp and medicinal hashish, are sometimes denied monetary providers and that is because of the US federal prohibition on hashish. Hashish is authorized in 23 states however stays unlawful on the federal stage. Which means international monetary providers corporations akin to bank card suppliers and processers say they will’t service hemp and medicinal hashish corporations, no matter compliance in their very own nation. The SAFE Banking Act, presently earlier than the US Senate, goals to repair this.

Australian examine of driving on medicinal hashish: 1News reported this week a brand new 18-month trial, utilizing a closed observe in Victoria, will take a look at the extent of impairment medicinal hashish may cause to see when it’s protected for them to get behind the wheel.

Medicinal hashish is authorized in each New Zealand and Australia. However whereas Kiwis have a authorized defence if utilizing their prescribed weed in accordance with their physician’s directions, sufferers in Aussie haven’t any safety even when they’re utilizing legally prescribed merchandise.

Victoria Legalise Hashish MP David Ettershank mentioned “There have been dozens of research which have been replicated many instances to point out that medicinal hashish sufferers can drive safely,” and medicinal hashish customers must be handled like some other individual on prescription medicine.

Extra findings from the NZ Drug Tendencies survey: 12 per cent of respondents reported experiencing some type of victimisation whereas buying medication within the final 12 months. Hashish purchases accounted for 49% of victimisations.

Occasions

Worldwide Overdose Consciousness Day was on Thursday 31 August. 171 individuals overdosed final 12 months.
Substance Testing @ The Hemp Storeevery First Thursday, because of the NZ Drug Basis. Dancesafe reagent kits obtainable right here. Our subsequent hosted clinic is Thurs 7 September, or discover one right here.
NORML’s Hashish Roadside Ralliesin Auckland: Excessive Midday on Ponsonby Highway Sat 9 Sept & Sat 23 Sept, Gray Lynn retailers Sat 7 Oct. Particulars on fb or norml.
CannaPosium7-8 October on the Surrey Resort, Gray Lynn, Auckland. Tickets right here.
Auckland J DaySaturday 2nd December in Albert Park (postponed from Might – particulars right here).

Marijuana Media airs each Thursday at 4:20pm on 95bFM, together with your hosts bFM Drive’s Jonny and Chris Fowlie from The Hempstore. Stream or obtain the pot-cast for this present right here or tons of of earlier Marijuana Media reveals at 95bFM.com (or by way of iTunes / RSS feed). Due to The Hemp Retailer!