The New Zealand government will be putting the issue of cannabis legalization before the voters in 2020 as a referendum is set to be held alongside the next general election.
The announcement was made to reporters by Justice Minister Andrew Little on his way into Tuesday morning caucus.
“The Cabinet decision is that it (the referendum) will be held at the 2020 general election,” said Justice Little. “The agreement is that it will be binding. There is a bit of detail to still work through.”
The prospect of legal marijuana after the referendum appears to be a distinct possibility as a poll conducted by Curia Market Research in 2017 showed that 65% of New Zealanders support the legalization or decriminalization of cannabis for personal use.
The report also showed support for medicinal cannabis at 81%. Last week, the New Zealand government passed a law to fully decriminalize cannabidiol (CBD) and allow terminally-ill patients to use medical marijuana.
If the people vote yes in the referendum in 2020, New Zealand will become the first country to allow the use of recreational cannabis in the Asia-Pacific area, a region of the world where marijuana prohibition is widespread and strictly enforced.
