New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s self-imposed neutrality in last year’s cannabis referendum could have been the decisive factor in the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill’s narrow defeat, according to researchers.

Ardern chose not to reveal her voting preference during the campaign so she would be able to implement the result from a position of neutrality. It was only after polls closed that she confirmed she had voted Yes in both the euthanasia and cannabis referenda.

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Prior to launching Cannabiz, Martin was co-founder and CEO of Asia-Pac’s leading B2B media and marketing information brand Mumbrella, overseeing its sale to Diversified Communications in 2017. A journalist...

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