Kate Hawkesby: Drug Foundation cannabis survey shouldn’t be trusted

NewsTalk ZB 21 February 2020
Family First Comment: Spot on!
“Two independent surveys recently showed support for cannabis reform dropping to 39 percent, and yet the Drug Foundation.. an organisation propped up with government funding, with vested political interests acting as a lobby group for reform, magically produce a new survey showing support for it increases to 50, ‘when people are more informed’. What does that mean? More informed by a certain bias? Well yes.

We had the Drug Foundations Ross Bell on earlier in the show, claiming a study they’ve done, with questions commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation showing support for cannabis legalisation at 50 percent.

Here’s my problem with that – two independent surveys recently showed support for cannabis reform dropping to 39 percent, and yet the Drug Foundation.. an organisation propped up with government funding, with vested political interests acting as a lobby group for reform, magically produce a new survey showing support for it increases to 50, ‘when people are more informed’.

What does that mean? More informed by a certain bias? Well yes.

According to the Foundation, ‘more informed’ means telling people about the controls and rules in the draft legislation, but does not include giving real life examples like the recent spike in the black market in Canada, and the huge problem with crime and the increase in youth use and addiction rates in Colorado.

That’s not what the Drug Foundation regards as ‘informing’.

And by the way, whose doing the educating and informing campaigns on our drug reform?

The Drug Foundation’s one of them. They’re currently advertising a campaign organiser job touting ’30 weeks to win on cannabis’ at 72 grand a year (pro rata).
READ MORE: https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/early-edition/opinion/kate-hawkesby-drug-foundation-cannabis-survey-at-odds-with-independent-surveys/