“Māori understand the opportunities cannabis legalisation will bring – creating jobs and boosting regional economies, while taking a health-based approach to reduce harm,” says Paul Manning, CEO of Helius Therapeutics which commissioned the research.
“Also, Māori have been disproportionately affected by criminalisation through prohibition.”
As well as if cannabis should be legalised, the poll asked Māori if prohibition is working and whether controls overgrowing and selling cannabis would be better for society.
“On the question of whether prohibition of cannabis was limiting access and use, only 15 percent of Māori said it was. A staggering 84 percent said cannabis is available and used by many New Zealanders, and 1 percent gave no response,” Horizon reports.
“On whether respondents believed controls over growing and selling cannabis for personal use would deliver a better outcome for society, 66 percent of Māori said yes, 31 percent supported continuing with no controls, and 3 percent gave no response.”
