Lighter cannabis penalties soon

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33445, 29 January 1974, Page 3

Lighter cannabis penalties soon

Legislation to place cannabis on a “lesser schedule'' of prohibited drugs, together with lesser penalties for its supply and possession, would be introduced soon, the Minister of Health (Mr Tizard) said \ esterdax.

The proposal is based on the second report of the Board of Health Committee on Drug Dependency and Drug Abuse in New Zealand, which was also released yesterday.

The committee has recommended that differing penalties, graded in severity, be provided for offences involving different drugs. The drugs should be graded in terms of their relative potential for harm, and the cannabis plant (marijuana) should be on a lesser schedule; cannabis resin (hashish) should be on a higher. It is also recommended that the maximum penalty for the possession and use of drugs with the highest potential for harm should not be greater than the present maximum penalty for all cases. The intention is that penalties for offences involving cannabis should be not only lower than penalties for other drugs, but lower than they are at present.

“This report will have farreaching implications for New Zealand society once its recommendations are implemented.” Mr Tizard said.

He accepted in principle many of the committee’s recommendations and these would be incorporated in legislation soon.

j “A large part of the report is related to drugs and (the law. The committee’s rei commendations in this field ■ are certain to keep New Zeai land penalties for drug mistuse among the lowest and j most understanding in the world.” said Mr Tizard. A review of sentencing patterns for drug abusers in New Zealand showed New Zealand courts to be among the most lenient in the world, giving more emphasis to treatment and management of drug misusers than penalising them, he said. The liberal and sympathetic approach of the report gave due weight to the opinion of those who maintained, that cannabis was less i

(harmful than other narcotics.j | he said. “I am especially gratified ( at the committee’s call fori (maximum penalties to be no( ’more severe than those i i already allowed under exist- j ling law.” said Mr Tizard. ( “There is a large body of (opinion in the world todav icalling for the removal of drug offences from criminal (law, and New Zealand is at (least heeding this opinion in (not increasing penalties. ( ( “Recommendations asking! ithe Department of Health to I (take the initiative in explor-i |ing the development of noni legal sanctions against the (misuse of drugs are also (particularly welcome. As the ( report suggests, there is great (scope for employing preventative and educational! ! methods, as well as rehabili-l (tation, in dealing with the! I problems of drug abuse,” he I -said.