Two prime arguments used for cannabis legalisation are fundamentally flawed.

Firstly, proponents want to deter the criminal element, but what will the criminals do? It seems likely dealers will push harder drugs more to make a living. Scary-stuff.

Secondly, proponents believe the health benefits of treating use as a health issue rather than a criminal issue will justify legalisation. They are dreaming. How well has education worked re: alcohol?

They know their legislation, including the right to grow and consume cannabis at home will cause more people to smoke cannabis and more current users to smoke greater quantities (as in Canada) leading to a significant health decline.

One interesting thing learned in South Australia's failed experiment with decriminalisation was that one cannabis plant could be cultivated to a massive size. Just google the size of these things and you will see NZ's proposed home limits are dangerous.

Many won't be interested in buying the promised reduced potency variety at licenced shops. There's nothing preventing this being treated as both a health and criminal issue. There could be an appropriate mix of health and penal measures, penal measures being applied after health measures have failed. It seems logical, however, most people who smoke cannabis won't even be interested in intervention.

Why don't Labour and NZ First just admit this is another misconceived Green's idea?

D Kidd, Ohauiti