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Running Head: KEY FEATURES OF NEW ZEALAND LEGAL SYSTEM    1
KEY FEATURES OF NEW ZEALAND LEGAL SYSTEM     10
KEY FEATURES OF NEW ZEALAND LEGAL SYSTEM IN CONTEXT OF NEW LEGISLATION RELATED TO CANNABIS
Table of Contents
Introduction    3
Focus Area One: Social, Religious and Ethical Perception    3
Focus Area Two: Classification of the New Law    4
Focus Area Three: Process of Passing Proposed Legislation into Law    5
Focus Area Four: New Law Making Subordinate Legislation    6
Focus Area Five: Role of Courts    6
Focus Area Six: Resolution of Ambiguity in New Legislation by the Courts    7
Conclusion    8
References    9
Introduction
Legalisation of drugs is a contentious issue among international communities. In fact, drugs like cannabis that can be used for both, medicinal and recreational purposes are put to debate in terms of legalised usages. The current referendum in New Zealand has ignited new discussion about how law enactment would take place, in case conflicting opinions occur in terms of legalising cannabis in nation. In New Zealand, marijuana is governed under the Abuse of Drugs Act 1975 (InterChurch Bioethics Council, 2019).
However, in spite of this, 42% of adults over the age of 15 in New Zealand reported trying it (InterChurch Bioethics Council, 2019). This raises the question of whether it is beneficial to control marijuana instead of criminalising a drug used by millions. This discussion would elaborate on the key advantages and disadvantages of marijuana legalisation.
Focus Area One: Social, Religious and Ethical Perception
In the context of examining three dimensions of cannabis use in New Zealand—social, ethical and religious—it is one of the conflicting issues among the common public regarding the use of cannabis. In fact, people perceive two different applications of cannabis namely, the recreational and medicinal. While several risk factors for cannabis use exist, there are also protective (InterChurch Bioethics Council, 2019).
Parents, who are religious, are more likely to help and track their children and to express behavioural values. They are much more likely to have children, who are religious and less deviant behaviour, including drug use is involved in religious teenagers. This is possibly due to personal convictions about actions, or as an outcome of encouragement from religious organisations for healthy behaviour (Rychert& Wilkins, 2018).
Family coordination and bonding are often protective, as these groups are also more cooperative and adaptive coping behaviour is improved for adolescents. In addition, the sense that parents or guardians are cared for and related prevents adolescents from the use of drugs (InterChurch Bioethics Council, 2019). Medicinal marijuana is seen as the most notable case for the drug's legalisation on scientific grounds.
Conditions are typically handled with marijuana of medical quality, natural marijuana, or prescription medications that use cannabis plant-derived compounds. A psychoactive chemical called delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) that acts on particular brain receptors is found in the plant itself. The composition of this chemical in medicine makes it possible for users to avoid any adverse effects of marijuana and by measured doses, predicts likely effects.
Over 42 per cent of marijuana users report medicinal use, according to statistics in New Zealand. Medicinal marijuana has been shown to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy, long-lasting pain, muscle cramps in multiple sclerosis or paraplegia, anxiety and movement problems in Tourette syndrome, although clinical evidence is limited (InterChurch Bioethics Council, 2019).
Focus Area Two: Classification...