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A major overhaul of New Zealand's drug laws is being promised by the Government in response to a Law Commission review covering everything from legal highs to medicinal marijuana.
The Law Commission made 144 recommendations, a large number of which were accepted by the Government, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne told TV ONE's Breakfast.
An increased focus on the treatment of drug-related problems and a ramping up of the recent legal high prohibition are among the changes to be implemented.
"New legislation will shift the onus of proof to the supplier," Dunne said.
"So the supplier and manufacturer will have to prove the safety of the product before it goes anywhere near the market - which is a complete reversal of the current situation."
"The current Misuse of Drugs Act dates from 1975, so it is clearly outdated. Its time has come. It will be an update not a replacement of the existing laws."
However, Dunne said the Government won't be entirely replacing current legislation, just updating it.
"We're not proposing any significant changes to the current general range of penalties and the way they are classified."
The response from the Drug Foundation has been positive, with executive director Ross Bell telling TV ONE's Breakfast the parliamentary debate on the issue has been sensible.
"The conversation about the issues is more mature, and it's a less reactionary debate than in the past," Bell said.
Bell agrees with Dunne that the changes are long overdue, and said he believes NZ needs to start "seeing the issue through a health lens".
"You're starting to see some noises across all political parties that the drug problem we have in this country is fundamentally a health issue. The current law is a real barrier to people and real stigma around these issues."
Dunne said an updated Misuse of Drugs Act covering the changes will be implemented over the next year.
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