A bill to legalize recreational marijuana in 2020 has been proposed in New Zealand.
The proposed bill would allow persons aged 20 or older to possess and consume marijuana in limited instances.
According to the New Zealand government, these adults would be allowed to:
- buy up to 14 grams of dried cannabis (or its equivalent) per day from licensed outlets
- consume cannabis on private property or at a licensed premise
- grow up to 2 plants, with a maximum of 4 plants per household
- share up to 14 grams of dried cannabis (or its equivalent) with another person aged 20 or over
“If more than 50% of people vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum, recreational cannabis wouldn’t become legal straight away,” the government site states. “After the election, the incoming Government can introduce a Bill to Parliament that would legalise and control cannabis. This process would include the opportunity for the public to share their thoughts and ideas on how the law might work.”
Marijuana growers and sellers would be regulated too:
- limited amount of licensed sellers
- potency limits
- excise tax on sales
- limited hours of operations for licensed sellers
- only licensed businesses could import cannabis seeds