By Ramone Tarnaski

There are currently only two countries in the world that have decided to legalize cannabis for adults. The first country to do so was Uruguay in 2013 and the second was Canada in 2014.

Canada was the first G7 nation to legalize cannabis for adults through a nationwide legalization measure. The legalization model in Canada is that a legally grown person can come to Canada from anywhere in the world and make it legal for an adult to buy cannabis. Uruguay's legalization models are somewhat limited in that only resident of the country are legally allowed to buy and use cannabis.

New Zealand could potentially become the third nation in the world to adopt a nationwide adult legalization model, alongside Canada and Uruguay. However, a court ruling in New Zealand calling for an end to cannabis prohibition is still pending.

In New Zealand, a referendum on the legalization of cannabis has been against the vote for over a year, and now voters have finally decided the issue, with a majority in favor of its legalization.

Voters were originally scheduled to vote on the measure in September, but the vote was postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak and a new date set for October 17, 2020. Voting is already underway, with early voting starting on 3 October and continuing until 16 October, when only those who voted on election day will be allowed to vote. It is unclear what the chances are of the measures being adopted, as several polls have shown her losing or winning depending on the poll.

The referendum would result in one of the highest approval ratings in New Zealand's history and the second highest in the world after the United States.

According to the New Zealand government, the proposed law is a way for the government to control and regulate cannabis. The regulatory model includes regulations on how people can produce, offer, and use cannabis, as well as a tax on the sale and distribution of the drug.

If the measure is passed, the legal age in New Zealand would be set at 20 years and users could grow 2 cannabis plants (4 max per household) and buy up to 14 grams of cannabis flowers per day in licensed premises. The main purpose of the bill is to reduce the number of illegal drugs available to the public and the use of marijuana for medical purposes. It would not support cannabis technology as much as Canada, but there is probably a chance that the New England model will evolve in a way that sooner or later will lead to the incorporation of advanced cannabis production technology.