University of Otago researchers David Fergusson and Joseph Boden have directed a statement at Prime Minister John Key regarding the prosecution of older teenagers/young adults for possessing marijuana.
They have argued that although most teenagers are safe from the harm this drug can cause, the ones who are affected long-term are aged 16 or younger. Despite the huge and continuously growing amount of evidence for this, teenagers of that age who are found with marijuana receive much softer treatment than people aged 18 to 21. As the risks of smoking the drug decrease with age, Fergusson and Boden believe that the penalties for possessing it should at least be as mild for older teens as they are for young ones.
Currently adults arrested for possessing cannabis receive fines of up to $500 or 3 months imprisonment, but the researchers say these laws are a waste of time. "The New Zealand youth justice system has evolved a system in which the majority of young people coming to attention are dealt with by diversion rather than prosecution," they said.
"There is a clear case for extending these provisions to older adolescents".
High
