In 2020, New Zealand is going to decide on whether there should be a law reform on cannabis. The debate is heating up, and information out there tends to be conflicted.
So, I want to examine the pros and cons of legalizing cannabis.
First off, I believe in order to start the conversation; people ideally should look upon cannabis as not just a drug to get ‘high’ or ‘stoned’ on. Unlike other drugs, including alcohol, caffeine and sugar, scientists have shown that cannabis may have medicinal properties that need to be tested further.
In order to examine both sides of the argument, people hopefully can agree on one thing – cannabis is not just a ‘party drug’.
Yes, there will be people out there that merely just want to get ‘high’ on cannabis; however, we should consider if that really is such a bad thing…
Then, we also need to look at the other effects of cannabis. Is it a gateway drug? Can it 
affect our frontal lobe? And if so, does it affect it negatively or positively?
Can cannabis cause depression or anxiety? Does it make people more aggressive? Will legalizing it affect the income of gangs and take it off the black market?
How are other countries affected by cannabis after they have legalized or decriminalized cannabis? What is the difference between decriminalization and legalization?
What are the statistics like in terms of car accidents etc involving the use of cannabis? How much is too much when it comes to driving and working?
Does cannabis have medicinal properties? What about cannabis products containing THC? Can cannabis help prevent or increase other addictions?
What about the consumption of it? Smoking, edibles and the oil – what are the benefits of down-sides of each? Can a person smoke it anywhere, or will it be restricted? Will the ‘smoko break’ include those that want to smoke cannabis? Will businesses be allowed to restrict their employees from smoking it?
If it isn’t legalized, how will the government enable easier access and affordability for those that could benefit from CBD and other cannabis-based products? If it is legalized, will the average person be able to grow it? And if so, is this a good or bad thing?
Would it be a negative or positive for there to be cafes or shops that sell cannabis, similar 
to that of how we purchase alcohol?
These are just a few questions I want to be researching to get the bigger picture on this controversial subject.
In the end, both sides should be listened to and not discounted off-hand. In order for positive change to occur everyone should listen to both sides of the debate, so we can get the best outcome.
I’d love to get comments from you whether you think it should be legalized or not, and why.
From there, I’ll be gathering research to answer the questions above to the best of my ability, and any others that crop up.
Writing, Health, and CBD 