May 22, 2024
Simeon Brown’s roadside drug testing will produce racist results against Māori
Posted On May 22, 2024
0
The Government’s new roadside drug testing laws will produce more racist outcomes for Māori.
Māori use cannabis at a higher rate than non Māori and these roadside tests will only prove if someone has smoked cannabis, it won’t prove impairment.
Cannabis can stay in people’s system well beyond its impact on your ability to drive, what these roadside tests will do is show if someone has smoked cannabis and claim that is enough to punish you.
Of course we want our roads to be safe and we do not want people who are impaired by drugs driving on them, but these tests won’t prove that, all they will prove is that someone smoked cannabis over the last month!
With Māori smoking cannabis more than non-Māori and the ‘unconscious’ bias against Māori by NZ Police, these roadside drug tests that won’t prove you are impaired, and will only prove you’ve smoked cannabis, will immediately start producing negative outcomes for Māori.
With medicinal cannabis now legal in NZ, many drivers are about to get caught up in a drug testing regime that will be unfair and biased against Māori.
We need our roads to be safe from impaired drivers, these roadside tests will not do that.
Attendee panel closed
Like reaction set to item