We are looking for 120 reasons why we should change our drug laws – one reason for each of the 120 MPs!

This is an opportunity to tell the politicians in your own words why they should support drug law reform and increased investment in harm reduction, health and social care.

Helpful Hints

Please read before sharing. 

You can write your reason and upload a photo using the form on this page.

When composing your reason please consider the following points:

  • A recommended length for your reason is between 50 – 150 words. It’s important that it’s at least a few sentences long and is in clear plain language.
  • Personal reasons that talk about real life experiences are likely to be the most convincing, but be careful not to share too many personal details that put yourself or others at risk.
  • If sharing a story may cause or trigger personal trauma or pain, please look after your health first and take note of the Alcohol/Drug Helpline – 0800 787 797.
  • Not all reasons will be featured on the website, but those that are can be shared on social media, and will be handed over to MPs.
  • Submitting a good quality photo (head shot) will strengthen the chances of your reason be featured on the website. 

When submitting, let us know how you would like to be identified. Can we use your first name or should we use a pseudonym?

Reasons can be submitted in any language. If not submitted in English or te reo Māori, please provide a translation and the name of the language.

Thanks for sharing!

Note: We may slightly edit stories for clarity, in line with the above pointers. We’ll get in touch if we need to update anything, we’ll let you know if your reason goes public, and we will ask you if we want to use it in any other way.

 

Share your reason

One of the best ways we can bring about a...

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Gunhild

I am 62 years old and have seen the harm...

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Fred

The prohibition of Marijuana (Cannabis) was done in 1937 by...

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Ben

We’ve been sweeping alcohol's dirty secret under the rug for...

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Kathy

As a chronic pain patient, very few things have ever...

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May McLeod

  Prescription painkillers nearly took my life. I never took...

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Peter

I have been a pharmacist for over 40 years including...

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Jesse

When I was in my first year of uni, some...

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Sharon

The Marijuana debate is very clear, let’s live up to...

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Hilda

I have worked along side alcoholics in Twelve Step programmes...

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James

I have witnessed for over 40 years the harm caused...

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Charmaine

I was diagnosed 15 years ago with medium to severe...

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Simon

If my children choose to experiment with cannabis when they...

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Robyn

We need to stop making money out of our citizens....

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Anna

I have recently been diagnosed with C-PTSD with dissociative disorders. My...

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Evelyn

Being a teenager of the 70s, all the folk I...

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Ruby

When I was in the 4th year of my acupuncture...

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Kerry

I have been a registered social worker for over 15...

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Julian

I’ve been working with drug issues for four decades. I’ve...

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Russel

I am a victim of unsafe work practices here in...

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Peter

Kia ora, I am a mental health support worker and...

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Wiki

I am in my early 50s. A mother, a grandmother,...

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Elizabeth

I am a nurse and have seen so many people...

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Kyle

We should change our drug laws because it will enable...

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Eliot

We should change our drug laws because a war on...

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Robert

I have depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, paranoia and...

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Kathryn

There’s no logic or science behind our drug laws, they...

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Nicholas

My story is of a hard life bullied at school...

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Aj

I have fibromyalgia and multiple other health issues that weed...

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Floyd

Cannabis is being re–adopted by many countries around the world....

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Benjamin

At the age of 6-years old I was involved in...

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Lauren

Because prisons don’t work. 60% of the prison population will...

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Wendy

When a law that was supposed to reduce drug use...

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Chris

My wife suffers from epilepsy and marijuana keeps her seizures...

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Leanne

I recently lost my mother due to a blood disorder,...

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Jennifer

People who use drugs can and do recover! With support...

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Scarlett

Our current drug laws are creating little impact, if we...

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Millie

When drugs become legalised the means of getting them do...

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Russell

Treatment-resistant C-PTSD has made my life very difficult to live...

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Tony

I’m a psychologist that works in the drug and alcohol...

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Mr Sausage

I am a normal bloke in my fifties. It was...

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Russell

The existing laws have comprehensively failed in their stated purpose...

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Carey

I have progressive Multiple Sclerosis and one of my worst...

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Isaac

Do you think that the local gang run tinny house...

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Kellie

Because it's time, it's time for change. I have worked...

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Kate

I have watched one of my best friends go from...

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Deb

The reason I want to see the law change is...

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Laila

I live in a community in West Auckland where young...

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Geneva

I believe in drug law reform because the harm caused...

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Jenny

We spend $95k+ to keep a prisoner in jail for...

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Hannah

I trained as a nurse and worked with many vulnerable...

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Fiona

I’d like politicians to support drug law reform and legalise/decriminalise...

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Lori

I want to see a change in how we treat...

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Roderick

Somebody close to me died of a heroin overdose. As...

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Warwick

Drug law reform is an essential component of a modern...

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Cyndi

I have worked in addictions for 10 years and I...

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Brian

Seven years ago I was busted for growing the cannabis...

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Andre

We should look to what works in the world and...

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Catherine

The war on drugs is government sanctioned bigotry against a...

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Tusilima

I was convicted for the cultivation of three female plants...

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Ricardo

The war on drugs is the war on the poor....

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Madison

  I live in a small rural community on the...

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John

  In 1968 I was 18 when convicted of cultivation...

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Aimee

I have seen the damaging effects of pushing drug users...

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Ian

  We scattered Chris's ashes last week, after a small...

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Anna

  It’s simple really – punishing people for drug use...

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Natalie

  When I was young I experimented with drugs, as...

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Kelsey

I would like to see the Government treat drug use...

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Jim

I spent 10 years as a prison consultant. There is...

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Paul

34 years on from a drug-related conviction, I still have...

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Matt

  The report of the 2018 Government Inquiry into Mental...

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Eugene

He take hauora tēnei ngāngara, arā te kiriwara, ehara he...

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Tracey

  It’s hard to get your head around the role...

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Ken

I believe we should legalize marijuana because of two reasons....

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Kali

We treat people who use drugs as criminals purely for...

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Jack

My reason for wanting to change our drug laws is...

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Diana

I have worked as an alcohol and other drug counsellor...

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