Arapono
Election CentreYour VotePartiesPolicies
Learn
Log inSign up free
Data sourced from:
New Zealand ParliamentElectoral CommissionStats NZNew Zealand TreasuryRadio New Zealand (RNZ)Beehive
Arapono

Navigating New Zealand Politics

An independent, non-partisan political information platform for New Zealanders.

  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Learn

  • Find what matters to you
  • Your Plan
  • How Parliament Works
  • Glossary
  • About Arapono
  • Our Sources

Explore

  • Command Centre
  • Elections
  • Battlegrounds
  • Interactive Map
  • MPs Directory
  • Party Policies
  • Budget 2026
  • Bills Tracker

Account

  • Sign Up Free
  • Log In

Legal

  • Help & FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Submit a Correction

© 2026 Arapono. All rights reserved.

Arapono is an independent platform. All information is sourced from official NZ government and electoral sources. We are not affiliated with any political party.

All parties on Crime & Justice
Crime & Justice · Party position

ALCP on Crime & Justice

Legalise cannabis to cut crime and free up police

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party wants to make it legal for adults to possess, grow and use cannabis. They say this would reduce crime, free up police to deal with serious offending, and allow cannabis convictions to be wiped from people's records. Money currently spent enforcing cannabis laws would be moved to health and education instead.

What they say they'll do

  • Legalise possession, cultivation and use of cannabis for adults (R18)
  • Set up regulated cannabis commerce with no promotional advertising
  • Expunge all existing cannabis convictions and issue apologies for prohibition
  • Redirect money saved from cannabis law enforcement into health and education
  • Establish a Drugs Policy Council to oversee regulation of recreational substances
  • Allow a minimum of five cannabis plants per household

Who this affects

People with cannabis convictions
The party says it would expunge all cannabis convictions from people's records and that apologies should be made for the injustices of prohibition.
Māori
The party states Māori are four or five times more likely to be convicted for a cannabis offence than non-Māori, and proposes protections against racially unequal enforcement of any new rules.
Police
The party says legalising cannabis would free up police resources currently used on cannabis offences to be directed toward what it calls serious crime instead.
Families
The party says legal regulation would allow parents to access credible information about drugs and reduce tension caused by the current legal status of cannabis within families.

In their own words

“Up to 20,000 people are convicted for cannabis offences every year in NZ. The unemployed, males and Maori are especially penalized by the law as it stands.”
“By taking the criminality out of NZ's most popular and prevalent illicit substance, police will be considerably freed up to contain and prevent real crime.”
“Full expungement of convictions (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party policy). Apologies must be made for Injustices of Prohibition.”
Verify at Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party — official policy page

Summarised neutrally from Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party’s own official policy (as at 2026-07-16) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Arapono is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Crime & Justice →

Coverage at a glance

Which party holds a published position on which topic.

Open the compare tool →

Swipe across to see all 11 topics — the party column stays put.

PartyEconomyHousingHealthEducationClimateEnvironmentCrime & JusticeTreaty & Māori AffairsImmigrationForeign PolicyDemocracy & Government
National
Published position∅ No stated position (verified) Not captured yet
∅
Labour∅∅∅∅∅∅
Green
ACT
NZ First
Te Pāti Māori
TOP
Also contesting, without seats in Parliament
Women’s Rights
Animal Justice
ALCP
Conservative
Outdoors & Freedom
Vision NZ
Alliance
Free Palestine
NZ Loyal∅
Te Tai Tokerau∅