Government Buying A Yes Vote in Cannabis Debate?

If the NZ Drug Foundation is receiving further significant funding from the Government, on top of what they already receive, they should not be the lead organisation promoting a Yes vote in the cannabis referendum.

This will be a direct conflict of interest when the Drug Foundation are promoting the legalisation of cannabis – as well as the decriminalisation of all other drugs including meth, ocaine and heroin – and the taxpayer is having to fund them at the same time.

It will open up the Government to accusations of ‘buying’ a yes vote and a change of law.

In a strong democracy, lobbyists and lawmakers should be at arm’s length – especially with a major vote on an issue about to happen.

Either the Drug Foundation takes government funding and removes itself from leading one side of the debate, or it rejects the funding and focuses on lobbying for the liberalisation of drug laws.

But it can’t do both.