National Party leader Christopher Luxon says he will not consider pardoning or decriminalising the possession or use of cannabis as US President Joe Biden takes major steps towards downstaging the drug.
Biden is currently pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of "simple possession" of cannabis, as his administration takes a dramatic step toward rescheduling the substance.
The US Department of Justice is working to devise a process for those covered by Biden's pardon to receive a certificate of pardon, which they can show to potential employers and others as needed.
The move by Biden puts the federal government on par with other big cities like New York that have been moving toward decriminalising low-level marijuana arrests for years. But there's a big divide in the nation as some police departments still believe the drug leads to more serious crime and ignoring low-level offences emboldens criminals.
Luxon said he would not consider decriminalising the use of cannabis following the referendum over legalising it two years ago - which resulted in Kiwis voting in favour of keeping the drug illegal.
What does the move mean for New Zealand? (Source: 1News)
He said the Government should focus on other aspects of "rising crime" affecting the country such as retail and violent crime.
Luxon said he voted against legalising cannabis in the 2020 referendum, Jacinda Ardern voted in favour of making the drug legal.
Luxon said his views on cannabis haven't changed and said Biden's decision to pardon those who had been convicted of possession was not comparable to doing the same in New Zealand where he says police take a more "pragmatic" approach.
He said the way the police respond to cannabis crime in the US and in New Zealand is "very, very different" and a pardon was out of the question.
"It's a bit difficult to pardon people for something that is still illegal," he said.
"You need legislation to do that and as I said we are not considering legislation."
SHARE ME