I often describe New Zealand as the Outside of the Asylum – the last sane place in a world going mad. But just what should we make of New Zealand’s public health system? Read more
Status: Prohibited
History:
1977: Cannabis was partially decriminalised in South Dakota, but the new law was almost immediately repealed
2018: Failed attempt to legalise medical cannabis
Policy Framework
Possession of less than 2oz (60g) is a misdemeanour punishable by a year in prison and a fine of $US2000;
Possession of more than 2oz is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $US30,000;
Sale of less than 0.5oz (14g) is a misdemeanour punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of $US2000;
Sale of more than 0.5oz is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $US30,000;
Cultivation of cannabis is charged by the aggregate weight of the plants possessed and is charged under “possession” or “possession with intent to distribute.”
Outcomes:
Between 2005 and 2017, cannabis use disorder in people over the age of 12 increased from 1.5% to 1.6%.
Source: https://crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/explorer/state/south-dakota/crime Read more
Status: Prohibited History: 2015: Legalisation of CBD (cannabidiol) oil for a limited number of conditions. No infrastructure in place for patients to obtain CBD oil legally and if patients can’t prove they obtained it legally outside of Tennessee. Read more
Status: Prohibited History: 2015: CBD (cannabidiol) oil legalised for patients with epilepsy 2019: Industrial hemp legalised Policy Framework: Possession of less than 4oz (113g) of cannabis is a misdemeanour punishable by up to a year in prison and fines of up to $US4000; Possession of more than 4oz is a felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison and fines of up to $US55,000; Sale of less than 7g (0.2oz) is a misdemeanour punishable by up to a year in prison and fines of up to $US4000; Cultivation is charged under possession. Outcomes: Between 2005 and 2017, cannabis use disorder in people over the age of 12 decreased from 1.5% to 1.3%. Read more
Status: Medical only History: 2014: CBD (cannabidiol) oil legalised 2018: “Right to Try” law passed, allowing terminally ill patients to try and grow cannabis in their homes 2018: Medical cannabis legalised, although dispensaries aren’t projected to open until 2021 Policy Framework: Patients must have a qualifying condition in order to obtain medical cannabis legally; Patients can possess a 30-day supply of medical cannabis as prescribed by their doctor; Home cultivation is not allowed; Regulators may license up to 14 dispensaries, although these are not yet operational and are not projected to open until 2021; Possession of less than 1oz (30g) of cannabis is a misdemeanour punishable by up to six months in prison and fines of up to $US1000; Possession of up to 1lb (16oz) of cannabis is a misdemeanour punishable by up to a year in prison and fines of up to $US2500; Possession of more than 1lb of cannabis is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $US10,000; Sale of any amount of cannabis is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to $US5000; Cultivation of cannabis is punishable under the same guise as a possession. Outcomes: Between 2005 and 2017, cannabis use disorder in people over the age of 12, decreased from 1.4% to 1.3%. Read more
Status: Prohibited History: 2015: CBD (cannabidiol) oil legalised for the treatment of seizures but does not provide any way to legally obtain CBD oil within the state Policy Framework: Being under the influence of cannabis is a misdemeanour punishable by six months in prison and a fine of up to $US750; Possession of 3oz (85g) or less of cannabis is a misdemeanour punishable by a year in prison and fines of up to $US1000; Possession of any more than 3oz is a felony punishable by five years in prison and fines of up to $US10,000; Sale or distribution of any amount of cannabis is a felony punishable by 10 years in prison and fines of up to $US10,000; Cultivation of cannabis is a misdemeanour punishable by six months in prison and fines of up to $US1000. Outcomes: Between 2005 and 2017, cannabis use disorder in people over the age of 12, decreased from 1.6% to 1.2%. Read more
Status: Legal History: 2004: Medical cannabis legalised 2013: Possession of less than an ounce decriminalised 2017-2018: Recreational cannabis legalised although no dispensary system was implemented while private sales of the drug remain illegal Policy Framework: Consumers: Must be 21-years-of-age or older to purchase, possess or consume cannabis; May possess up to 1oz (30g) of cannabis at a time; May possess up to two mature plants and four immature plants provided they are securely enclosed and screened from public view; Cannot purchase cannabis without a medical cannabis patient certificate; May not consume cannabis in public spaces; May not operate a motor vehicle under the influence of cannabis; Cannabis convicts can manually seal their criminal records; Possession of more than 1oz and less than 2oz (60g) of cannabis is a misdemeanour punishable by up to two years in prison and fines of up to $US2000; Possession of more than 2oz of cannabis is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $US500,000; It is still illegal to distribute cannabis unless it is gifted (provided it falls under the personal possession limits). Dispensaries are not implemented and the only legal way of obtaining cannabis through an unremunerated gift. Read more
Status: Legal for recreational use Policy History: 1923: Washington State legislature passes the bill to criminalise marijuana, punishable by up to 10 years in prison 1971: No longer a crime to possess up to 1.4oz (40g) of marijuana 1998: Initiative 692 Referendum results in the legalisation of medical marijuana 2012: Recreational cannabis is made legal Policy Framework: Consumers: Must be above the age of 21 to purchase, possess or consume cannabis; May not consume cannabis in public places; May not drive under the influence of cannabis; An excise tax of 37%; May not consume cannabis in public view. Suppliers: Must be state-licensed; Can’t sell more than 1oz (30g) to an individual in a single transaction; People are not permitted to cultivate their own cannabis (punishable by $US10,000 fine). Read more
Last Thursday, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank pledged to offer on a daily basis at least $120 billion of cash injections in the short-term money market, up from the initial $75 billion supply agreed last month. Read more
Taken at face value, the government’s zero-carbon bill is a toothless façade. On closer examination, it looks more like a Trojan Horse for dictatorial government by decree. Read more
I don’t know if anyone ever really believed manufacturing televisions in New Zealand made sense. Controls in place until New Zealand’s reforms prohibited importing fully assembled televisions, to encourage manufacture and assembly in New Zealand. Read more
A Twitter-storm has raged over the last week about Auckland Council’s rules requiring community consultation before private developers can name new roads. Apparently, some Aucklanders believe that holding up housing projects while developers comply with council road-naming requirements is unacceptable red tape. Read more
As Karl Marx taught us, history repeats itself first as tragedy and then as farce. With Brexit we are long past these two separate stages. Read more
Two developments this week on the Government’s flagship Zero Carbon Bill. First, Parliament’s Environment Committee sent its report recommending changes back to the House, having waded through more than 10,000 public submissions. Read more
Suppose I told you that anticompetitive activity right here in New Zealand was behind a transfer of wealth amounting to, at the very least, hundreds of billions of dollars. The victims of the cartel are New Zealand’s poorest, who have had to endure hardship so substantial that its effects are directly visible in New Zealand’s poverty and material deprivation statistics. Read more