Matters of Substance
December 2021
The global cannabis policy being developed behind closed doors
Get the latest on drugs
Sign up to get an email notification every time a new online article is uploaded. Keep up to date with the issues.
In December 2020 we began publishing online-only features on drug policy, harm reduction and more in Aotearoa NZ.
LATEST ARTICLES
30 September 2022
Street value: The Dutch pop-up shop sparking conversations about drugs
Drug Foundation Communications Advisor Feilidh Dwyer visits a thought-provoking pop-up shop in Utrecht.
04 September 2022
Updating the narrative: findings from a new methamphetamine report
Today, the Drug Foundation and the Helen Clark Foundation released a new paper: Minimising the Harms from Methamphetamine. The Drug Foundation's Execu...
08 April 2022
New drug-driving law ignores science, targets poor
Chris Fowlie takes a look at who will be most affected by New Zealand's new drug driving laws, and how.
25 March 2022
Who gets a conviction for drug possession, and who gets help?
Policy & advocacy manager Kali Mercier takes a look at new drug prosecution stats to see who is being impacted - and is it working?
24 March 2022
A first timer's take on the world of global drug policy
Jai Whelan, founding member and secretary of Students for Sensible Drug Policy Aotearoa, reflects on the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
24 December 2021
The global cannabis policy being developed behind closed doors
In 2019, the WHO made a historic recommendation: that cannabis should be rescheduled in the UN global drug treaties to reflect its potential as a medi...
02 September 2021
Overdose prevention: A walk in the park?
Free naloxone kits, fee training, oranges to practice on – and a barbecue lunch. That's how they do overdose prevention in British Columbia.
30 August 2021
'Grossly underprepared' - NZ's naloxone mess
So far, NZ has escaped the kind of opioid crisis that has claimed thousands of lives overseas. But should that change, we are “grossly underprepared”.
25 August 2021
D-Day approaches for new medicinal cannabis scheme
The number of products are set to be slashed and prices are expected to spike when a transitional medicinal cannabis scheme expires in October.
View the Matters of Substance archive
Read back issues dating from February 2007 onwards.
Subscribe to email updates
Get regular news, analysis and commentary on drug issues in New Zealand. Free.
A straight up guide for people who use drugs
The Level is for real people, in real life, whatever level they are at.