ABSTRACT
New Zealand is believed to have been self sufficient in the domestic supply of cannabis since the early 1990s (Staff 1988, Yska 1990, NDIB 2007, Newbold 2000). The smuggling of cannabis sticks from Thailand in the 1970s was gradually replaced by the domestic cultivation of cannabis during the 1980s to the point where cannabis supply is now thought to be entirely meet by local cultivation. New Zealand’s geographical isolation, small population and strong border protection make the smuggling of bulky illegal drugs, such as cannabis, across the border both costly and risky and hence bestow a natural advantage on domestic cannabis cultivation (New Zealand Customs 2002).
