Pubdate: Mon, 03 Jun 2013
Source: Manawatu Standard (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2013 Manawatu Evening Standard
Contact:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1057
Author: Iain Lees-Galloway

LET SCIENCE DECIDE SUBSTANCES' STATUS

I was pleased to read the letter from J Hatch and the column by Grant 
Miller in response to articles about my stance on drug regulation, 
particularly cannabis. This is a debate that we need to have and I 
hope it continues.

What hasn't come through very well in the articles is exactly what my 
position is. I actually don't think politicians should make the 
decision whether or not New Zealand should decriminalise cannabis or 
any other substance. That should be left to scientists and the health 
professionals who deal with the impacts of substance use, misuse and abuse.

The Psychoactive Substances Bill, currently being considered by 
Parliament, provides a good template for how such a system should work.

The default position will be that all substances are illegal to grow, 
manufacture and supply unless, after rigorous scientific trials, they 
can be proven to be of low risk. This keeps high risk substances off 
the shelf while creating a regulated market for low risk substances 
which drives people away from the black market of illicit drugs.

For now, that will only be applied to the so-called " legal highs", 
the new substances that are not captured by the Misuse of Drugs Act. 
In time, once the new system has had a chance to bed in, I hope that changes.

It is a nonsense that we will have two different regulatory regimes 
for drugs based on the date at which we became aware of them.

Instead, our system should be based on relative harms. There is 
nothing to fear from this approach. If people who believe that 
cannabis is high risk are right, it will not pass the scientific 
tests and will remain illegal. That would be a satisfactory outcome 
for me because the result would be based on science, not politics and emotion.

IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY Palmerston North MP
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