Drug classification

In politics, it’s often said, if you’re explaining, you’re losing. This was the unnecessary position Prime Minister John Key found himself in following the launch of the government’s new methamphetamine action plan.

In January 2004 the UK downgraded cannabis from Class B to Class C, which meant lower penalties and fewer arrests for possession. In January 2009 that decision was reversed, even though scientific advice had not changed significantly and cannabis consumption was falling.

The New Zealand Drug Harm Index, published in June, was developed by Business and Economic Research Limited as a tool for the Police to assess and quantify social harms resulting from illicit drug use. Alison Ritter offers a review of the index and suggests it remains useful despite some significant flaws.

The debate in the UK over cannabis reclassification from B to C made the classification debate headline news, while a damning inquiry report by the Science and Technology Select Committee, combined with the The Lancet paper on drug harm rankings, have given the ABC system some long-overdue high-level scrutiny. However, the problem runs much deeper than whether certain drugs are misclassified. Steve Rolles.

Drug scheduling is the process of sorting controlled substances into categories, generally with the purpose of assigning higher levels of control over those drugs viewed as most hazardous. This implies a process of weighing the respective dangers and benefits of each drug, an undertaking of considerable complexity. As with many controversial topics, members of the public, and especially specialised academics, may feel that their opinions are not given enough credit. This is particularly true for popular drugs with vocal supporters, such as cannabis. Ted Leggett.

This submission sets out what we believe can reasonably be concluded from current evidence about BZP and its harms, then analyses the potential impacts of the Bill. In developing this submission, we have consulted with a number of people and organisations within the alcohol and drug sector. We have also reviewed research findings on BZP. Our comments are influenced by the Drug Foundation’s guiding principles, including evidence based best practice and policy, and harm minimisation.

In 2004 Mr Anderton asked the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (EACD) to review recent New Zealand research on benzylpiperazine (BZP), the main ingredient in most party pills. The official EACD report was released by Mr Anderton on 20 December 2006. It recommended BZP be classified as C1 under the Misuse of Drugs Act alongside drugs such as cannabis. It is illegal to possess or sell Class C drugs.

This paper summarises recent research findings on BZP/party pills, and outlines the current legislative status of BZP. It is being made available to assist organisations or people wanting to make submissions on the proposal to reclassify BZP and its analogues.