Massey Research Online - Browsing by Author "Rychert M"

Browsing by Author "Rychert M"

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Assessing options for cannabis law reform: A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) with stakeholders in New Zealand
(Elsevier B.V, 2022-07) Wilkins C; Rychert M; Queirolo R; Lenton SR; Kilmer B; Fischer B; Decorte T; Hansen P; Ombler F
Background A number of jurisdictions are considering or implementing different options for cannabis law reform, including New Zealand. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) helps facilitate the resolution of complex policy decisions by breaking them down into key criteria and drawing on the combined knowledge of experts from various backgrounds. Aims To rank cannabis law reform options by facilitating expert stakeholders to express preferences for projected reform outcomes using MCDA. Methods A group of cannabis policy experts projected the outcomes of eight cannabis policy options (i.e., prohibition, decriminalization, social clubs, government monopoly, not-for-profit trusts, strict regulation, light regulation, and unrestricted market) based on five criteria (i.e., health and social harm, illegal market size, arrests, tax income, treatment services). A facilitated workshop of 42 key national stakeholders expressed preferences for different reform outcomes and doing so generated relative weights for each criterion and level. The resulting weights were then used to rank the eight policy options. Results The relative weighting of the criteria were: “reducing health and social harm” (46%), “reducing arrests” (31%), “reducing the illegal market” (13%), “expanding treatment” (8%) and “earning tax” (2%). The top ranked reform options were: “government monopoly” (81%), “not-for-profit” (73%) and “strict market regulation” (65%). These three received higher scores due to their projected lower impact on health and social harm, medium reduction in arrests, and medium reduction in the illegal market. The “lightly regulated market” option scored lower largely due its projected greater increase in health and social harm. “Prohibition” ranked lowest due to its lack of impact on reducing the number of arrests or size of the illegal market. Conclusion Strictly regulated legal market options were ranked higher than both the current prohibition, and alternatively, more lightly regulated legal market options, as they were projected to minimize health and social harms while substantially reducing arrests and the illegal market.
Barriers and facilitators to prescribing medicinal cannabis in New Zealand.
(CSIRO Publishing on behalf of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, 2023-03-02) Withanarachchie V; Rychert M; Wilkins C; Goodyear-Smith F
Introduction: The New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Scheme (NZMCS) was established in April 2020 with the aim of expanding access to quality controlled medicinal cannabis products and developing a domestic medicinal cannabis industry. Yet, two years later, many patients report challenges in utilising the NZMCS, including physicians’ reluctance to provide prescriptions for products. Aim: To explore the barriers and facilitators to prescribing medicinal cannabis in New Zealand. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 New Zealand physicians (general practitioners, specialists, and cannabis clinicians) who had discussed medicinal cannabis with patients in the last 6 months. Results: Physicians reported the principal barrier to prescribing medicinal cannabis was the limited clinical evidence to support cannabis therapy. Further barriers included: a perceived lack of knowledge of medicinal cannabis; concerns over professional reputation; social stigma; and the price of products. Conversely, the factors that facilitated cannabis prescribing included patients’ and physicians’ knowledge of medicinal cannabis; some physicians’ desire to avoid patients having to engage with private cannabis clinics; and the timing of prescription requests (ie considering medicinal cannabis after other treatments had been exhausted). Discussion: Further clinical research of medicinal cannabis medications, education and training, and information would support physicians to deliver more informed advice to patients and enhance professional confidence with cannabis therapies.
Case commentary: a ‘merciful approach’ to discipline for a New Zealand lawyer’s misconduct
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-05-12) Diesfeld K; Rychert M; Surgenor LJ; Kelly O; Kersey K
A recent decision reveals how a New Zealand’s disciplinary tribunal promoted justice for an unwell lawyer in a case of professional misconduct. In 2023, the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal (LCDT) applied a ‘merciful approach’ when assessing the lawyer’s misconduct and health issues. In Auckland Standards Committee 3 v Ms W [2023], the LCDT discussed the impacts of reproductive treatment in relation to the practitioner’s conduct. This decision is the foundation to compare the disciplinary regime for legal and health practitioners in New Zealand. The article outlines New Zealand’s framework for discipline of lawyers, noting the absence of a health pathway. The article discusses opportunities to resolve cases involving impaired lawyers outside the disciplinary system, including benefits and disadvantages of mandatory reporting. While focusing on the legal profession, the discussion is relevant to other professions and examines health-promoting regulatory strategies from other jurisdictions.
Exploring Differences in Daily Vaping of Nicotine and Cannabis among People Who Use Drugs in New Zealand.
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-06-16) Rychert M; Romeo JS; Wilkins C
Background: Little is known about daily vaping of different substances, particularly cannabis. Aim: To explore daily vaping of cannabis and nicotine products in a sample of people who use drugs in New Zealand. Method: The online New Zealand Drug Trends convenience survey (N = 23,500) was promoted to those aged 16+ via a targeted Facebook™ campaign, with 9,042 reporting vaping in the past six months. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to identify predictors of daily vaping of: (i) nicotine e-liquids, (ii) no-nicotine e-liquids, (iii) cannabis e-liquids/oils, (iv)cannabis herb. Results: Forty-two percent of past 6-month vapers used a vaporizing device "daily or near daily" (n = 3,508). Nicotine was most common substance used by daily vapers (96%), followed by dry herb cannabis (12%), no-nicotine e-liquids (10%) and cannabis e-liquid (6%). Daily vaping of no-nicotine e-liquids was associated with abstinence from tobacco use. Frequency of cannabis use was negatively correlated with daily vaping of nicotine liquids and positively correlated with daily vaping of no-nicotine and herbal cannabis. Younger age strongly predicted daily vaping of nicotine and no-nicotine liquids, but the reverse association was observed for daily vaping of herbal cannabis. Māori were less likely to daily vape cannabis herb than NZ Europeans. Daily vaping of both cannabis e-liquid and cannabis herb was associated with medicinal cannabis use. Conclusion: Daily vapers of nicotine and cannabis differed by several characteristics. Younger age group is at risk of daily vaping nicotine and non-nicotine, while herbal cannabis vaping is associated with older and medicinal use, suggesting a need for a nuanced vape policy response.
Exploring the substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs among a large convenience sample of people who use cannabis.
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2024-11-05) Wilkins C; Romeo J; Rychert M; Graydon-Guy T
Background The substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs has been conceptualised in a harm reduction framework as where cannabis is used to reduce the negative side-effects, addiction potential, and social stigma of other drugs. There is currently mixed evidence with recent reviews suggesting cannabis co-use patterns may vary by age and ethnicity. Yet few studies have had large enough samples to examine this demographic variation in detail. Aims To explore the co-use of cannabis with alcohol and other drugs within demographic subgroups of a large sample of people who use cannabis. Specifically: (1) whether cannabis is being substituted for other drugs, and (2), whether cannabis use leads to more, less or the same level of other drug use. Method Online convenience survey promoted via Facebook™ completed by 23,500 New Zealand respondents. Those who had used cannabis and any of eight other substances in the same six-month period were asked if their use of cannabis had any impact on their use of each other substance (“a lot more”, “little more”, “no impact/same”, “little less”, “a lot less”). Frequency and quantity used of each other drug was compared by co-use group. Generalised logistic regression models were developed to predict co-use categories. Results Significant proportions reported cannabis use led to “less” alcohol (60%), synthetic cannabinoid (60%), morphine (44%) and methamphetamine (40%) use. Those who reported using “less” had lower frequency and amount used of other drugs. Approximately seven-out-ten reported cannabis use had “no impact” on LSD, MDMA, and cocaine use. One-in-five reported using cannabis led to “more” tobacco use. Young adults (21–35-years) were more likely to report cannabis use led to “less” drinking and methamphetamine use. Adolescent co-users (16–20 years) reported mixed impacts. Māori were more likely to report cannabis use resulted in “less” alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamine, and LSD use. Students and those living in cities were less likely to report cannabis use lowering use of other substances. Conclusion Cannabis and other drug co-use patterns are moderated by life stages, lifestyles, cultural perspectives, and urbanicity. Harm reduction initiatives and policy reforms should take account of these moderating factors.
Foreign investment in emerging legal medicinal cannabis markets: the Jamaica case study
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2021-04-01) Rychert M; Emanuel MA; Wilkins C
Introduction The establishment of a legal market for medicinal cannabis under the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 2015 has positioned Jamaica at the forefront of cannabis law reform in the developing world. Many local cannabis businesses have attracted investment from overseas, including from Canada, US and Europe. Aim To explore the opportunities and risks of foreign investment in an emerging domestic legal cannabis market in a developing country. Methods Thematic analysis of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 22 key informants (KIs) from the Jamaican government, local cannabis industry, academia and civil society, and field observations of legal and illegal cannabis cultivators. Results KIs from the Jamaican public agencies and domestic cannabis entrepreneurs saw foreign investment as an essential source of capital to finance the start-up costs of legal cannabis businesses. Local cannabis entrepreneurs prioritised investors with the greatest financial resources, brand reputation and export networks. They also considered how allied an investor was with their business vision (e.g., organic cultivation, medical vs. recreational). The key benefits of partnering with a foreign investor included transfer of technical knowledge and financial capital, which enhanced production, quality assurance and seed-to-sale tracking. Some KIs expressed concern over investors’ focus on increasing production efficiency and scale at the expense of funding research and development (R&D) and clinical trials. KIs from the local industry, government agencies and civil society highlighted the risks of ‘predatory’ shareholder agreements and domestic political interference. Concerns were raised about the impact of foreign investment on the diversity of the domestic cannabis sector in Jamaica, including the commitment to transition traditional illegal small-scale cannabis cultivators to the legal sector. Conclusion While foreign investment has facilitated the commercialisation of the cannabis sector in Jamaica, regulatory measures are also needed to protect the domestic industry and support the transition of small-scale illegal cultivators to the legal regime. Foreign investments may alter the economic, social and political determinants of health in transitioning from illegal to legal cannabis market economy.
“I straight up criminalized myself on messenger”: law enforcement risk management among people who buy and sell drugs on social media
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-06-20) van der Sanden R; Wilkins C; Rychert M
Background and Aim: Social media drug markets are likely to present people participating in these spaces with new vulnerabilities to law enforcement. There is currently limited research on how people perceive and manage the risk of exposure to law enforcement in social media drug markets. This is particularly notable considering widespread practices of user data collection and the normalization of surveillance as part of social media engagement. Methods: We present a thematic analysis of data from anonymous online interviews with people who buy and sell drugs (N = 33) via social media and messaging apps in New Zealand. We use the concept of “imagined surveillance” to explore how participants adapted existing understandings of online surveillance to online risk management strategies to avoid police. Findings: Most participants reported low concern for exposure to law enforcement while using social media and messaging apps for drug trading. Nevertheless, almost all participants took active risk management measures. Examples of strategies used included limiting the accumulation of evidence via self-deleting messages or arranging drug trades using code language. Participants often also reported low concern for their digital trace data to be accessed by police. Conclusions: Navigating law enforcement risk in social media drug markets is likely to be informed and shaped by more general perceptions of digital privacy risk and related management strategies, particularly in more normalized drug market contexts. The potential for broader and unexpected consequences to result from the use of drug-related digital trace data across public and private contexts is discussed.
Legal sourcing of ten cannabis products in the Canadian cannabis market, 2019-2021: a repeat cross-sectional study.
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2023-02-17) Wadsworth E; Rynard V; Driezen P; Freeman TP; Rychert M; Wilkins C; Hall W; Gabrys R; Hammond D
BACKGROUND: One of the objectives of cannabis legalization in Canada is to transition consumers from the illegal to the legal market. Little is known about how legal sourcing varies across different cannabis product types, provinces, and frequency of cannabis use. METHODS: Data were analyzed from Canadian respondents in the International Cannabis Policy Study, a repeat cross-sectional survey conducted annually from 2019 to 2021. Respondents were 15,311 past 12-month cannabis consumers of legal age to purchase cannabis. Weighted logistic regression models estimated the association between legal sourcing ("all"/ "some"/ "none") of ten cannabis product types, province, and frequency of cannabis use over time. RESULTS: The percentage of consumers who sourced "all" their cannabis products from legal sources in the past 12 months varied by product type, ranging from 49% of solid concentrate consumers to 82% of cannabis drink consumers in 2021. The percentage of consumers sourcing "all" their respective products legally was greater in 2021 than 2020 across all products. Legal sourcing varied by frequency of use: weekly or more frequent consumers were more likely to source "some" (versus "none") of their products legally versus less frequent consumers. Legal sourcing also varied by province, with a lower likelihood of legal sourcing in Québec of products whose legal sale was restricted (e.g., edibles). CONCLUSION: Legal sourcing increased over time, demonstrating progress in the transition to the legal market for all products in the first three years of legalization in Canada. Legal sourcing was highest for drinks and oils and lowest for solid concentrates and hash.
Lessons from the implementation of residential methamphetamine contamination policies in New Zealand
(John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs, 2023-03) Sanchez Lozano CD; Wilkins C; Rychert M
Introduction Methamphetamine contamination of housing has been discussed as a significant issue in New Zealand. However, scientific evidence to determine a threshold level at which health harms occur is inconclusive, resulting in conflicting and changing guidance. The initial strong precautionary policy, with significant unintended impacts on vulnerable public housing tenants, dramatically changed following a scientific review. This study explores the policy response to residential methamphetamine contamination in New Zealand over the past decade. Methods Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 key stakeholders involved in policy development/implementation, including those from government, industry, residential housing and academic sectors. Results Consistent application of a methamphetamine contamination threshold for housing has been problematic due to legislative and regulatory gaps. Stakeholders in the residential sector have been influenced by perceptions of methamphetamine contamination as a health risk, political views on drug use, media coverage and the testing industry's business practices. Public housing tenants have faced disadvantages when resolving methamphetamine contamination disputes. The testing industry's participation in committees shaping the regulatory response presents a possible conflict of interest. Wide media coverage heightened public anxiety about the problem but may also have stimulated policy changes to alleviate unintended consequences of the precautionary approach. Discussion and Conclusions New Zealand's fragmented policy response to residential methamphetamine contamination is likely rooted in the lack of scientific evidence, with some key actors further exacerbating the response. Future policy development should seek to produce overarching regulation that guides the whole sector while balancing powers of the stakeholders involved.
Practitioner Rehabilitation following Professional Misconduct: A Common Practice Now in Need of a Theory?
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-06-15) Surgenor LJ; Diesfeld K; Rychert M; Easteal P
Theories of rehabilitation have long been articulated in health and criminal justice contexts, driving rehabilitation practices in each area. In this article, several prominent theories are described to illustrate how their core assumptions aim to facilitate recovery and reduce relapse or reoffending. Professional disciplinary bodies are also often compelled by law or regulation to attend to practitioners’ rehabilitation after professional misconduct, with similar aims to restore the practitioner to safe practice. Yet, no rehabilitation theory has been articulated in this context despite professional rehabilitation being distinct from other settings. We propose that the current absence of a coherent theory is problematic, leaving professional disciplinary bodies to ‘borrow’ assumptions from elsewhere. Since rehabilitation penalties are frequently made by professional disciplinary bodies, we review several theories from health and justice contexts and highlight elements that may be useful in developing professional misconduct rehabilitation theory. This includes proposing methodological approaches for empirical research to progress this.
Predictors of voter support for the legalization of recreational cannabis use and supply via a national referendum
(Elsevier B.V, 2022-01) Wilkins C; Tremewan J; Rychert M; Atkinson Q; Fischer K; Forsyth GAL
Background A national referendum to legalise recreational cannabis use and supply in New Zealand via the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill (CLCB) was recently narrowly defeated. Understanding the underlying factors for this result can inform the cannabis legalisation debate in other countries. Aims To investigate predictors of voter support for and opposition to the CLCB. Method A representative population panel of 1,022 people completed an online survey of intended voting on the CLCB referendum, which included questions on demographics, drug use history, medicinal cannabis, perceptions of the health risk and moral views of cannabis use, political affiliation, religiosity, community size and reading of the CLCB. Regression models were developed to predict support for the CLCB, with additional predictor variables added over successive iterations. Results The most robust predictors of support for the CLCB were use of and policy support for medicinal cannabis use, voting for a left-wing political party, having a positive moral view of cannabis use, living in a small town and having read the CLCB. Predictors of opposing the CLCB were voting for right-wing parties, considering “frequent” cannabis use to be a high health risk, and lifetime use of other drugs. Age, ethnicity, education, employment status, religiosity and lifetime cannabis use were not significant predictors after controlling for other variables. Conclusions Support for cannabis legalization was not based on broad demographics, but rather specific views concerning the medicinal benefit, morality of cannabis use, health risk of frequent cannabis use, political party affiliation, and knowledge of the proposed regulatory controls of the CLCB. The influence of moral views of cannabis use on voting behaviour suggest the need to debate the right to use cannabis. The importance of knowledge of the proposed regulatory controls of the CLCB on voting underlines the need to raise awareness of proposed regulatory controls during debate.
The role of cannabis clinics in the health system: a qualitative study of physicians' views in New Zealand
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2023-01-04) Withanarachchie V; Rychert M; Wilkins C
Background Privately-owned cannabis clinics have sprung up in many jurisdictions where medicinal cannabis has been legalised and provide an alternative pathway for patients who are unable or unwilling to access a prescription for cannabis-based medicinal products from their usual healthcare providers. Aims This study aimed to explore physicians’ views on cannabis clinics, including their perceptions of the role cannabis clinics play in the wider health system. Methods A qualitative study using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with thirty-one physicians affiliated with private and community clinics in New Zealand (including cannabis clinicians, GPs, and specialist doctors). The interviews were conducted from July to December 2021. Data were transcribed and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Cannabis clinicians positioned themselves as (1) “service providers”, facilitating consumer access to cannabis prescriptions and products, and (2) “educators”, providing advice to patients and the wider physician community. While general practitioners and specialists recognised the benefits of specialised cannabis clinics (i.e., knowledge of products and a non-judgmental environment), they questioned the limited evidence of clinical efficacy for cannabis, potential financial conflicts of interests of cannabis clinicians that may blur their clinical judgement, and the risk of compartmentalising patients’ healthcare. Conclusions Our paper raises a number of challenges with attempting to integrate cannabis clinics into the wider health system.

Browsing by Author "Rychert M"

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