The first company in New Zealand to receive a medical cannabis cultivation license, Hikurangi Cannabis, is allowing individuals with past drug offenses to be able to be part of the legal cannabis industry.
People who identify as Maori make up roughly 15 percent of New Zealand’s total population, but over half of its prison population. Of those who are incarcerated, 40 percent are convicted on drug charges.
The most disadvantaged communities, however, are home to “some of the best growers in the country,” explains Panapa Ehau, a co-founder of Hikurangi Cannabis.
In 2020, the country will hold a referendum on whether recreational cannabis should be legalized. According to a study carried out in New Zealand, by the age of 25, 80% of New Zealanders will have tried cannabis at least once.
Source: Cannabis Therapy Magazine 01
Online magazine for cannabis patients and experts alike.
