Petty drug users fill New Zealand jails

By Ben Heather

Hundreds of people are locked up for petty drug offences every year - many for crimes New Zealand's top legal body says should not exist.

Justice Ministry figures show a significant amount of court time is taken up by minor drug cases, with nearly as many people imprisoned for possessing a small quantity of cannabis as for dealing.

Among these offenders are hundreds imprisoned for possessing a pipe or a needle, an offence the Law Commission recommended legalising last year.

The figures also show fewer than one in three minor drug offenders is offered diversion, allowing them to avoid a criminal record.

The New Zealand Drug Foundation said the figures were alarming and showed the court-focused treatment of minor offenders was not working.

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