17: Drug Legislation in New Zealand

In this chapter the development of the legislative framework used in New Zealand to control and regulate the availability of medicines, drugs and other substances that may be abused or misused is described. Topics covered include the approach taken historically to the scheduling of substances, the challenge to that framework represented by the proliferation of ‘party drugs’ and the appearance of synthetic cannabinoid products and a succession of legislative responses culminating in the introduction of the controversial Psychoactive Substances regime. These developments have challenged the New Zealand regulatory framework for drug control and raised fundamental issues, including the effectiveness of prohibition compared to regulation as a harm reduction strategy. Complex issues around the interaction between chemistry, drug policy, assessment of risk and individual responsibility are involved in developing an effective framework for drug legislation.