Student associations rally in support of Yes2020 cannabis referendum

Many student associations from universities around the country are adopting a Yes2020 stance towards the cannabis referendum.

This comes after the students’ associations who are members of NZUSA voted in favour of the national association to take a Yes2020 stance.

NZUSA’s spokesperson, Isabella Lenihan-Ikin said,”There is a huge opportunity for young people and students to engage in political conversation that for so long they have been excluded from.” 

“We have this issue around cannabis, that I think every young person or every student has a personal connection with, whether it is our personal use with cannabis or our friends' use of cannabis.” 

She added, “We’ve all had friends who have been arrested or who have been put in prison or have interacted in some way with the justice system because of their use of or interacting with cannabis and other drugs.”

Massey at Wellington Students’ Association is one of the associations who supported NZUSA’s stance, said student president Jacob Paterson.

“At our last executive meeting a document was brought forward surrounding the referendum, and the recommendation from the national office was that we take a Yes2020 stance, there was debate between the presidents from different student associations on the decision of yes or no.”

“NZUSA encouraged us to vote for a yes stance, the decision wasn’t unanimous but it was a majority vote yes.” 

MUSA, Palmerston North’s student association, also took a Yes2020 stance at the start of the year, explained president Stefan Bibstein.

“MUSA believes in harm reduction, we think it is far more important to educate and look after vulnerable people than it is to put them in jail,” he said.

ASA have decided not to take a stance and instead focus on educating and providing resources on the referendum. 

“We feel that because this isn’t a topic that everyone has even a majority of unity on, it is therefore not our place to take a particular stance,” said student president Dallin Niuelua. 

 “We feel our role in this is to be neutral and provide information and facts from all sides of this topic/debate to help make students make an educated vote.”

On September 19th 2020 New Zealanders will vote for or against the legalisation of cannabis. 
The referendum will be held at the same time as the general election and official results will be released to the public on October the 9th.