Conclusion

In conclusion I think that when taken into account all the benefits of legalizing marijuana for example The added revenue from taxation, reduction in cannabis related crimes, lower Government expenditure both in terms of money spent and Police man hours, and the relief countless people in New Zealand who would get from medical marijuana it would be a crime to not legalise and take the necessary step forward for New Zealand and its people.

Links used and other reading

These are all the links used

http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2011/World_Drug_Report_2011_ebook.pdf

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/legalizing-marijuana-tax-revenue_n_3102003.html

http://economics.about.com/od/incometaxestaxcuts/a/legalize_pot.htm

http://www.fraserinstitute.org/publicationdisplay.aspx?id=13187&terms=marijuana

http://www.fraserinstitute.org/publicationdisplay.aspx?id=12144&terms=marijuana

http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com/aubert.htm

https://norml.org.nz/about/medical/

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/12/4625608/california-pot-research-backs.html

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1307/S00318/tv3-poll-shows-98-want-medical-marijuana-in-newzealand.htm

http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/2011/05/part_2_-_report_controlling_and_regulating_drugs.pdf

http://www.drugsense.org/mcwilliams/www.marijuanamagazine.com/toc/addictiv.htm

http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com/aubert.htm

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/12/4625608/california-pot-research-backs.html

I also read :

The NORML NZ website which was informative.

https://norml.org.nz/about/

About Professor David nutt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nutt

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis party
 http://alcp.org.nz/

Hemp:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

Cannabis :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(
drug)

also watched :
Time to legalise in New Zealand ? parts 1,2,3
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5CgoLKvvyw

Not that whacky

The general consensus, whether through just plain ignorance or miseducation, is that Marijuana is more harmful than alcohol or tobacco. This isn't necessarily the case, in a document produced by The Law Commission  page 8, it details the drug classifications and shows, on the whole, how much more harmful Alcohol and Tobacco are in terms of physical harm, dependence and social harm.

Dr. Jack E. Henningfield of the National Institute On Drug Abuse(NIDA) in the United States ranked  Cannabis as the least addictiveof 6 substances (cannabis,caffeine,cocaine,alcohol, nicotine and heroin) with nicotine the most addictive and caffeine second.

In New Zealand, the public are continuously warned against and shown the harmful effects of continual tobacco and alcohol usage through printed ad and television campaigns. Despite these warnings adults over the age of 18 are given the choice to consume and they do so on a daily basis. They are aware and make the informed decision .

Prohibition of cannabis by the Government is an unwanted intrusion into individual freedom of choice. Legalising Marijuana would allow adults to continue to make these informed decisions on whether to use something that is no more harmful than two of the most harmful drugs you can legally buy today in New Zealand.
It is something that many of them have been using for years and will continue to use legally or illegally.

For my cataracts

The cannabis plant has been around since early civilization and has been used as a medicine in some way or another. Prior to the 1920’s when cannabis was still legal, it was used by a Catholic nun Mother Aubert in some of her famous medications which funnily enough are on display in Te Papa, in Wellington.

As well as being used for paper, oil, rope and cloth It can be used for a wide range of ailments such as relieving pain, spasms, inflammation, nausea, glaucoma and movement disorders to name a few.     

Medical marijuana is something being adopted the world over. Across 20 such states in America, Israel, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Canada have taken steps showing the importance and the benefits to its citizens. These countries have passed laws allowing medical marijuana with many going even further.

The West coast of the United States has lead the way when it come to marijuana reform and adopting medical marijuana into their system. According to Dr. Igor Grant a neuropsychiatrist who served as director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research in California

"Every one of the studies showed a benefit,". "The convergence of evidence makes me convinced there is a medical benefit here, and there may be a niche for cannabis."

He goes on to say "It is intellectually dishonest to say it has no value whatsoever, because it's just not true," .

Here in New Zealand people are very aware of the benefits and in a recent TV3 Poll it showed that 98% of respondents want medical marijuana adopted here.

Taxed

There has been much talk in the marijuana debate over the years regarding the potential tax revenues and what that can mean for the economy. 

Professor Stephen T. Easton of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia,Canada published a study called "Marijuana Growth in British Columbia" where he believes that if treated like a commodity marijuana can be taxed and regulated, and the resources generated from the industry be used appropriately instead of fighting a war long lost.

A 2010 study from the Cato Institute in the US says legalising would generate $8.7 billion dollars in federal and state tax revenue annually. New Zealand  be generating hundreds of thousands if not millions in additional tax revenue per year as well. 

Recently in an open letter to the President of the united states, Congress, Governors, and State Legislatures 500+ economists went on record detailing the benefits of legalizing marijuana.

Mean green

New Zealand has a clean green image and as Kiwis we love our green and it shows. According to the 2011 world drug report between 13.4% and 15.7% of New Zealander’s aged between 16 and 64 use Cannabis. This figure, though seemingly small, is still large enough to force New Zealand’s Government and Police force to spend upwards of $120,000,000 per annum and the equivalent of 160 full time police officers to enforce marijuana prohibition.

The money spent by the government and New Zealand Police force man hours spent could be saved by legalising and decriminalisation of marijuana and would be better used on education, prevention of drug addiction and substance abuse like alcohol and methamphetamines which are problems in New Zealand. If legalised the benefits would be far reaching .The New Zealand justice system could  use their valuable man hours on stopping killers and reducing serious crime.

Introduction

Mary Jane, Bud, Smoke, Hydro, Green, Marijuana, Hemp; these are just some of the many names Cannabis Sativa is known by the world over. In some countries, and in parts of some, Cannabis has been either legalised or decriminalised. In New Zealand, it remains illegal and a criminal offence. I discuss in this blog the advantages of legalising Cannabis and point out why it’s now high time it was legalised in New Zealand. Some key advantages include greatly reduced costs to taxpayers, the medical and medicinal benefits of Cannabis, the social and economic benefits of legalising Cannabis and how it compares to available, legal substances like alcohol and tobacco.

Some Links

Some relevant links I've found on the topic :

Is it time to legalize Marijuana ?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/is-it-time-to-take-a-chill-pill-and-legalise-marijuana-1.1513701

An essay on why cannabis should be legalized

http://www.theweedblog.com/essay-on-why-cannabis-should-be-legalized/

Decriminalize or legalize it ?

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/03/01/decriminalize-or-legalize/

Healing properties of Cannabis - index

http://www.420magazine.com/forums/medical-marijuana-facts-information/80421-healing-properties-cannabis-index.html

Common uses for medical marijuana

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/5-common-uses-of-medical-cannabis.htm

cannabis and cannabinoids

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/patient/page2