Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20317] 
10.  
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Justice 
: Does he stand by his statement to the House last year in relation to cannabis that “… one of the areas that I am most worried about is younger people and the effect that the chemicals in cannabis have on their mental development and their attitudes. That is one of the reasons why I personally believe we should be extraordinarily cautious before making any change in the status of this drug.”; if not why not? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 Yes. The views that I expressed then have been reinforced by the recent findings of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit study which shows that 8 percent of teens who use cannabis may develop a psychosis such as schizophrenia as a result of that use. Amongst those carrying a cannabis-vulnerable gene the rate of psychosis is as high as 15 percent. 
Judy Turner 
: Would the Minister support a policy that requires any loosening of controls on drugs such as cannabis to undergo a vote in Parliament rather than simply being implemented through an Order in Council; if not why not? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: The member I think is referring to a matter currently before a select committee the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill (No 3). That is in the process of being discussed before that committee and it is not my role as Minister to pre-empt or indeed to comment on what is happening there. But I do want to make very clear to the member that this Government has entered into a commitment for confidence and supply with the United Future party and part of that commitment is that it will not change the legal status of cannabis and it is committed to maintaining its commitment in that regard. 
Moana Mackey 
: What action is the Government taking to reduce the impact of drug abuse on New Zealand communities? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: The Government operates under a National Drug Policy which has a focus on three areas: measures such as education to reduce the demand for drugs; measures to control supply through law enforcement; and treatment of those suffering harm from drug and alcohol abuse. I draw to the House’s attention that in last year’s Budget $53 million was provided over 4 years for efforts to cut drug abuse. That indicates how seriously we take that problem. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Has the Minister heard the statement made today by the lead researcher in the study he quoted Associate Professor Richie Poulton that the key implication of the study for politicians is how to delay the onset of cannabis use by young people and that in his view the fact that cannabis use is a criminal act does not appear to deter its use by young people; who will he listen to: Judy Turner or one of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: The person concerned who has done a lot of work on this most certainly has made the point that cannabis is more dangerous in some situations than others and he points to the young because of the effect on them; to those with a mental illness; and as the Canterbury longitudinal study also points out to those who are heavy users of the drug. Clearly those are the people most vulnerable. My concern is that if we were to legalise the drug as the member wishes it would not lead to a reduction in the use of drugs; it would undoubtedly bring down the price because it would be legal and it is easy to cultivate and that would lead to more people using the drug. That is a problem we simply do not need in this country. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I am sure the Minister did not deliberately mislead the House but the Green Party policy is not to legalise cannabis; it is simply to remove criminal sanctions. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order but thank you. 
Judy Turner 
: Is the Minister aware of reports that the Dutch Government is having to crack down on cannabis coffee-shops particularly those close to schools and does he agree that if the Government with the most liberal stance on cannabis in the world is having to reverse its position we have got it right with our current position? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I have not followed what is happening in the Netherlands at the present time but I will take the member’s word for it. I think that we have got it about right at the moment. Of course the illegality of the drug is not succeeding in stopping people from using it but it is stopping more people from using it more regularly and an effective response to the drug has to include not just maintaining its criminality but also having an education programme around the effects of the drug and the negative effects that it has. As the study I quoted before showed for 8 percent of adolescents using it it led to a psychosis. That is a very significant figure. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister agree with the statement: “The best way to stop young people using cannabis is to have a clear age limit that is seriously policed.” made by Nandor Tanczos who has also claimed that the policing of the current law does not work; and how would decriminalisation stop young people from getting access to cannabis when the age limit would simply leave room for a gang-led black market to supply them? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: As I indicated before I think that decriminalisation of the drug would lead to its greater availability and heavier use.