Lance O’Sullivan says New Zealand’s current drug laws, which criminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis, lead to poor outcomes for young Maori men in particular.
Speaking to Q+A’s Jessica Mutch, the 2014 New Zealander of the Year said when young people, especially Maori, come to the to the attention of the police for low-level crime it’s a “slippery slope”.
“These kids get engaged in the criminal system, and if you treat a person like a criminal, they’ll end up like a criminal,” he said.
“I actually believe our current legislation, which criminalises low-level crime, acts to support racial profiling," Dr O'Sullivan said.
"A police officer can stop and search someone on reasonable grounds to suspect they have marijuana. That could be just a whiff of something; it could be anything. You don’t have to subjectively prove that to the judge. You can just say, ‘Oh, I thought that person carried drugs.’ Now, I actually think that contributes to the racial profiling that goes on in New Zealand.”
Dr O’Sullivan supports treating low-level drug crime as a health issue, with better support services available to people whose lives are affected by drug use.
Watch the full interview here.
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